On Thursday, Naoris Protocol launched its mainnet, describing the network as a blockchain built with post-quantum cryptography from the start, using algorithms approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The project joins a growing list of efforts exploring how blockchains might operate if quantum computers eventually defeat the cryptographic systems most blockchains rely on today.
Nathaniel Szerezla, Naoris Protocol’s chief growth officer, said the project deliberately chose to implement the finalized federal standard for the technology rather than earlier research versions of the algorithm.
“Most blockchain projects experimenting with post-quantum signatures treat 'Dilithium' and 'ML-DSA' as interchangeable labels,” Szerezla told Decrypt. “Naoris treats them as a hard boundary.”
Because blockchain transaction histories are public and permanent, the cryptographic signatures attached to those transactions remain visible indefinitely. If quantum computers eventually reach the required scale, then attackers could analyze past transaction data to recover private keys from exposed signatures.
Szerezla said Naoris attempts to reduce that risk by enforcing a transition away from classical signatures once an account adopts a post-quantum key.
“Once an account is PQC-bound, the system enforces a hard, irreversible transition,” he said. “The transaction processor checks every incoming transaction. If the sender's address has a PQC binding in the registry, the transaction must contain a valid ML-DSA inner signature.”
An ECDSA-only transaction from a bound account is rejected with a specific error that tells users that a PQC signature is required for the bound account, he explained.
The Naoris network currently operates with a limited set of validator operators as the project expands participation. Before launching the mainnet, Naoris said its test network processed more than 106 million post-quantum transactions and detected more than 603 million security threats. Decrypt has not independently verified these figures.
Because Naoris cannot retroactively secure assets already recorded on blockchains that rely on classical cryptography, Szerezla said users would need to move assets onto the Naoris network to be protected.
“Assets moved to Naoris become quantum-secure, while assets left on classical chains remain vulnerable,” he said. “The earlier users migrate, the smaller their exposure window.”
