- Arc Network will launch its mainnet with built-in support for post-quantum signatures, backed by USDC issuer Circle.
- The project’s phased roadmap targets full quantum resistance across wallets, infrastructure, and validator authentication to protect against future attacks.
- Experts, including at Google, predict quantum computers could break current cryptography within a few years, threatening chains like Bitcoin by 2032.
- Unlike disruptive network-wide resets, Arc’s design is opt-in with no mandatory migration required, according to the company.
Arc Network, an Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible layer-1 blockchain, announced its mainnet will launch with post-quantum signature support as part of a broader roadmap to secure institutional digital assets. Consequently, this proactive move addresses the urgent “harvest now, decrypt later” threat highlighted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The roadmap spans quantum-resistant wallets, private smart contract state, validator authentication, and supporting infrastructure, acknowledging that blockchains need protection across every stack layer.
Arc’s documentation states this transition will be opt-in, avoiding a mandatory migration for users. However, the technical hurdles are immense, as post-quantum signatures can be an order of magnitude larger than classical ones. Established networks like Bitcoin face a monumental challenge, with a best-case migration for post-quantum wallets possibly taking months of continuous processing. “The organizations that lead this transition will be the ones that started building before the urgency became undeniable,” Arc’s post reads.
Meanwhile, the quantum threat timeline is accelerating, with Google recently stating the threat to Bitcoin could take root by 2032. This urgency has spurred action across the industry, with Bitcoin developers discussing solutions for years and a specific Bitcoin Improvement Proposal recently gaining traction. Similarly, Ethereum developers have coalesced around a quantum resistance roadmap championed by co-founder Vitalik Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation.
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