Overview
- In November 2026 the XRP Ledger Foundation published a formal proposal that selects NIST’s ML‑DSA‑44 as the post‑quantum signature and outlines a staged migration toward a 2028 target date.
- Developers ran an implementation branch on AlphaNet but found key‑derivation inconsistencies between the Python prototype and server/JavaScript builds that must be fixed before shared test vectors and wallets are certified.
- The Foundation estimates an ML‑DSA‑44 public key plus signature will add about 3,732 bytes per transaction and roughly 5,331 bytes with history and overhead, and it chose to keep the network’s base fee unchanged.
- By holding the base fee steady the design shifts extra storage and bandwidth cost to node operators and validators, and the Foundation budgets about $215,000–$255,000 for audits, reviews and reference work while planning a migration study in H1 2027.
- Widespread protection depends on account owners, exchanges, custodians and wallet vendors taking action to register new keys and disable old master keys, so adoption tools, audits and validator approval will determine how fast the network becomes effectively quantum resistant.