Quantum Resistance
cryptography · security
The ability of cryptographic systems to remain secure against attacks by quantum computers.
- Also known as
- post-quantum security
Quantum resistance refers to cryptographic designs believed to remain secure if large, fault-tolerant quantum computers become practical. Public-key schemes such as ECDSA and RSA would be vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm, while post-quantum schemes use different mathematical assumptions.
Bitcoin-like systems rely on both signatures and hash functions. Hash functions such as SHA-256 are affected differently by quantum algorithms and can often be strengthened by larger output sizes, while signature schemes may require more substantial upgrades.
Practical quantum resistance is as much an upgrade problem as a cryptography problem. Networks need standardized algorithms, wallet support, migration paths for old coins, and careful review before replacing battle-tested signature systems.
Related terms
Public Key
→Cryptographic data used to verify signatures made by the corresponding private key.
cryptography · technical
Private Key
→Secret cryptographic material used to produce signatures or other authorization proofs.
cryptography · security · wallet
Address
→A network-specific identifier that describes a destination or spending condition for a cryptocurrency payment.
wallet · technical
Hash
→A fixed-size digest produced by a one-way function, used for data integrity, identifiers, signatures, and proof-of-work.
cryptography · security