Ripple, the fintech company behind the XRP Ledger, has published a multi-phase roadmap to make the blockchain quantum-resistant by 2028, warning the threat from quantum computing has shifted from theoretical to credible.
The announcement follows a paper from Google Quantum AI showing that the elliptic curve cryptography securing most blockchains, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, could be broken by sufficiently advanced quantum machines in minutes.
Ripple said digital assets face no immediate risk but cautioned that preparation timelines now matter, highlighting a so-called "harvest now, decrypt later" threat in which bad actors collect publicly visible cryptographic data today and wait for quantum hardware capable of cracking it.
The company is working with Project Eleven, a research group, to build a proof-of-concept hybrid post-quantum signing implementation, including validator-level testing and a post-quantum custody wallet prototype.
Developers have already integrated ML-DSA, a NIST-approved quantum-resistant algorithm formerly known as CRYSTALS-Dilithium, on the ledger's AlphaNet test environment, replacing older signature systems.
Ripple said the XRP Ledger's architecture gives it a structural advantage over rivals because it supports native key rotation, allowing users to replace potentially vulnerable signing keys without changing their underlying accounts.
A recent audit by an XRPL validator found that only 0.03% of the token's circulating supply sits in dormant accounts with exposed public keys, compared with an estimated 35% of Bitcoin's supply held in older wallet formats that cannot be protected without moving funds.
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The roadmap includes milestones for the first half of 2026, with a full transition targeted by 2028 at the latest and a contingency plan for emergency migration if existing cryptographic standards are compromised sooner.
Industry opinion remains divided, with Bernstein describing quantum risk as a manageable upgrade cycle and Strategy's Michael Saylor among those downplaying the threat.
The recap
- Ripple plans to prepare the XRP Ledger for quantum threats.
- XRP holds about $100 billion market cap, fourth-largest cryptocurrency.
- Company targets 2028 to make the ledger quantum-ready.
