Quantum Resistance
The ability of cryptographic systems to remain secure against attacks by quantum computers.
Quantum resistance refers to cryptographic algorithms that are believed to remain secure even if large-scale quantum computers become practical. Traditional schemes like ECDSA and RSA could be broken by Shor’s algorithm, whereas post-quantum schemes are designed to resist such attacks.
"If ECDSA were broken by quantum computers, attackers could derive private keys from exposed public keys; post-quantum signatures aim to prevent this."
Near-term mitigations include best practices such as not reusing addresses (to avoid exposing public keys on-chain until spend time) and supporting upgrade paths to quantum-safe schemes.
"Using fresh addresses in BCH means your raw public key is revealed only when you spend, reducing exposure."
Related Terms
Public Key
→A cryptographic identifier derived from a private key; used to verify signatures and derive addresses.
Private Key
→A cryptographic key used to sign blockchain transactions and derive public keys; ultimate proof of control over funds.
Address
→A public identifier used to receive cryptocurrency on a blockchain network.
Hash
→A hash is a fixed-size output produced by a one-way function that maps any input to a seemingly random value, used for integrity, addressing, and proof-of-work.
All terms and definitions may update as the Cryptionary improves.
