Developers working on the XRP Ledger added a new type of digital signature to the network’s test environment in December 2025 — one designed to hold up against attacks from quantum computers.
Still In Testing, Not Yet LiveBoth features are part of a broader push by XRPL developers to get ahead of a threat that most of the crypto industry has not yet fully addressed.
Shor developed an algorithm that, if run on a powerful enough quantum machine, could crack the encryption protecting most blockchain networks today. No computer has been able to run it at the scale needed — but that window may be closing.
Risk levels vary depending on how a network is built. Reports indicate that Bitcoin may carry less technical exposure than other chains because of its design — it uses a transaction model that limits address reuse, relies on proof-of-work, and has no built-in smart contracts. Some Bitcoin address types are safer than others, as long as they are not reused.
Featured image from Mastercard Developers, chart from TradingView
