Overview
- Ripple, which published the roadmap Monday, set a four-phase program to make XRPL quantum-ready with a full cutover targeted for 2028.
- Phase 1 creates a 'Quantum-Day' emergency plan that would force a move off classical public-key signatures and use post-quantum zero-knowledge proofs to let account holders recover funds.
- Phase 2 in the first half of 2026 begins tests of NIST-standard algorithms with benchmarking of signature size, verification cost and throughput, supported by Project Eleven’s validator trials, Devnet testing and a custody wallet prototype.
- Phase 3 in the second half of 2026 introduces a hybrid Devnet running post-quantum and current elliptic-curve signatures side by side, leading into a production network amendment planned by 2028 that focuses on throughput and validator coordination.
- Ripple says the threat is not immediate, but Google’s recent estimates and the 'harvest now, decrypt later' risk show why blockchains must prepare before quantum machines can crack today’s signatures.