A blockchain engineered for the post-quantum world

As the digital world accelerates, ensuring the long-term security of your assets and applications isn’t just important—it’s paramount. But a storm is gathering on the horizon: quantum computing. While this revolutionary technology promises incredible advancements, it also spells doom for today’s cryptographic standards underpinning most blockchains. Quantum computers, wielding tools like Shor’s Algorithm, will shatter these defenses, leaving digital assets and entire ecosystems vulnerable.

The fact is, many organizations have already taken this leap, while blockchain struggles to recognize it: Apple has secured iMessage, Cloudflare is securing HTTPS, and the US Federal Government has mandated all departments and contractors migrate to quantum-safe encryption.

Enter QRL 2.0: a pioneering Layer-1 blockchain, meticulously engineered from Ethereum’s proven foundation to proactively neutralize this future challenge. This isn’t a simple upgrade; it’s a paradigm shift toward enduring security in the face of unstoppable quantum progress.

While legacy blockchains grapple with the monumental task of migrating - facing complex technical hurdles, potential compromises in performance, and the daunting challenge of user consensus, QRL 2.0 is built quantum-ready from day one.

This upgrade highlights the quantum ready smart contracts, opening the door for tokens from vulnerable chains, to find a secure haven, along with asset holders. QRL 2.0 allows for the development of secure systems safeguarding user identities, votes, and digital assets (including NFTs) against tampering and exploitation. This paves the way for a new era of decentralized applications.

Backed by the QRL Foundation, QRL 2.0 goes beyond quantum, emerging as a visionary platform designed not merely to withstand the quantum era, but to empower developers and users to thrive within it.

Table of Contents

History, Current Status, and Roadmap

Background: The Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL)

Launched in June 2018 and backed by the visionary QRL Foundation — the same organization powering the Zond upgrade — QRL was the first full-featured network engineered to withstand quantum-computer attacks. Rather than relying on traditional ECDSA, QRL implemented XMSS (eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme), a hash-based, forward-secure signature that’s been audited and proven resistant to quantum-computer attacks.

This long-term success is a testament to the QRL Foundation’s foresight in prioritizing post-quantum cryptography before it was widely recognized as necessary. By staying ahead of emerging threats, QRL has built a rock-solid reputation for security and innovation in a rapidly evolving landscape. Today, as blockchain networks around the world grapple with quantum vulnerabilities, QRL remains a trusted, future-proof platform.

Current Status

Since launch, the QRL Foundation has driven relentless research and development—efforts that began converging into a next-generation protocol by 2020 and culminated in a public devnet pre-release in 2022.

Releases:

1. December 2022 – public devnet pre-release: We kicked off a public development network, allowing community members and dApp builders to experiment with the QRL 2.0 Virtual Machine (QRVM) and the Hyperion Solidity fork in a low-risk environment.
2. Q1 2024 – beta-testnet: Building on devnet, we launched our first beta-testnet.
3. Q1 2025 – Testnet V1: Following a year of beta testing and incremental upgrades, Testnet v1 went live.
4. Q1 2026 – Testnet V2: QRL 2.0 Testnet V2 launched as the audit-ready public testnet. External audits are underway, and the network is undergoing ongoing stress testing and refinement ahead of mainnet.

Roadmap

   QRL 2.0 represents a novel, never-before-attempted blockchain project that’s not seen elsewhere - well beyond a simple token on another blockchain. Technical challenges, audit findings or community-driven changes may require us to adjust things.

1. Further incremental upgrades: Each testnet phase in our roadmap progressively enhances our platform’s functionality and refinement, with each iteration serving as a milestone that brings us closer to a seamless and robust launch.
2. Comprehensive Security Audit & Review: Multiple independent audits are currently underway, reviewing QRL 2.0’s cryptography, and protocol implementation. Mainnet launch remains contingent on the successful completion of these audits.
3. Mainnet Launch (TBD): We have not yet set a mainnet date. The timing will depend on development, audit outcomes, and overall network stability.

For a more detailed breakdown of each phase, please visit our full roadmap page.

Use Cases

Why quantum security matters

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is revolutionizing the way financial services are provided, offering lending, borrowing, trading, and other financial instruments without traditional intermediaries. However, the security of these DeFi platforms relies on cryptographic algorithms that are vulnerable to quantum computer attacks.

Once large-scale quantum computers are available, they will break many of the encryption algorithms used to secure DeFi transactions, leading to unprecedented thefts and disruptions.

By leveraging QRL 2.0’s quantum-secure infrastructure, DeFi innovators can build applications that are not only secure today but will also remain secure in a post-quantum future, safeguarding investments and maintaining trust in DeFi ecosystems.

Use Case: Secure NFT Ecosystems

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) represent unique digital assets, from art and collectibles to virtual real estate and more. The security of NFT ownership and transfer relies on blockchain technology and cryptographic techniques. However, powerful quantum computers threatens the security of these NFT ecosystems by allowing for the forgery of NFTs, theft, or unauthorized transfers. This vulnerability not only affects the financial aspect of NFTs but also the artistic and cultural value they represent, as the provenance and authenticity of digital artworks could be questioned.

QRL 2.0 addresses this issue by allowing for the minting of NFTs using post-quantum secure cryptographic techniques, ensuring that the ownership and provenance of NFTs are protected against quantum attacks. This provides a secure foundation for NFT marketplaces and ensures that both buyers and sellers can trust the integrity of NFT transactions, preserving the value and authenticity of digital assets.

Use Case: Trustless Governance & Voting

Trustless governance and voting systems on blockchain aim to provide transparent, tamper-proof, and democratic decision-making processes for communities and organizations. These systems rely on cryptographic techniques to ensure the integrity of votes. However, quantum computers could compromise these systems by breaking encryption, allowing for vote manipulation or revealing voter identities.

The use of QRL 2.0’s blockchain and QRL Virtual Machine (QRVM) enables the development of voting systems that utilize post-quantum cryptography, ensuring a tamper-proof record of votes and safeguarding the integrity of governance and voting processes against quantum computer attacks.

Use Case: Decentralized Identity (DID) Solutions

Decentralized Identity solutions provide individuals with control over their personal data, enabling self-sovereign identity management. These solutions use blockchain and cryptographic tools to secure and manage identity credentials. However, the rise of quantum computing poses a significant threat to the security of these identities, as quantum computers could decrypt and access sensitive personal information, which could lead to identity theft, fraud, and other malicious activities, undermining the trust that individuals place in decentralized digital identity management systems.

The use of QRL 2.0’s blockchain and QRL 2.0 Virtual Machine (QRVM) enables the development of solutions that are secure against quantum attacks, ensuring that personal data and identity credentials are protected. This allows individuals to manage their identities securely, with the assurance that their data is safeguarded with quantum-resistant algorithms against unauthorized access. QRL 2.0 makes it easier for projects to offer individuals decentralized identity solutions that are quantum safe, providing a robust and secure foundation for self-sovereign identity management.

For Developers

Know EVM? You’re good to go.

No need to know about quantum mechanics or post-quantum cryptography to get started!

QRL 2.0 is a purpose-built Layer-1 blockchain that delivers quantum resistance without sacrificing the familiar Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) workflow. At its core, Zond integrates NIST-standardized ML-DSA to protect transactions and validator operations from both classical and emerging quantum attacks.

It’s open-source, and designed with inherent crypto-agility to adapt to future cryptographic advancements.

At its operational core, QRL 2.0 offers a seamless and fortified experience for the Web3 ecosystem. It features the QRL Virtual Machine (QRL Virtual Machine), an EVM-derived execution environment, and Hyperion, a fork of Solidity. This architecture means:

• Developers can leverage their existing Ethereum expertise, tools, and workflows. The transition to quantum-safe development is intuitive and efficient, not a complete overhaul.
• Projects can build sophisticated DeFi protocols, vibrant NFT marketplaces, and novel governance models with inherent built-in protection. QRL 2.0 safeguards user assets and platform integrity from the looming threat of quantum attacks.
• Users get a quantum-safe blockchain that secures their assets and the applications they use against quantum attacks while offering seamless access to DeFi, NFTs, and governance without added complexity.

From Development to Deployment

QRL 2.0 offers rich Web3 integrations that follow a lot of the same calls as Ethereum, making it easy to migrate existing Ethereum projects or start new ones. Our tooling and documentation provide a seamless experience, from testnet deployment to mainnet launch. Developers can write Solidity code as they would on Ethereum and deploy it on QRL 2.0 with minimal modifications, preserving existing toolchains while gaining next-generation security.

The update to our in-house Hyperion compiler supports lattice-based primitives, such as ML-DSA-87, enabling smart contracts to natively verify quantum-secure signatures. This foundation ensures that your decentralized applications (dApps) and users’ assets remain safe as quantum computing technology advances.

At a glance, QRL 2.0 development gives you:

• Rich Web3 Integrations: Migrate existing Ethereum projects or start new ones with ease, using familiar Web3 calls and tools like web3.js and the Vortex IDE.
• Streamlined Development and Deployment: Enjoy a seamless experience, from testnet deployment to mainnet launch, with comprehensive documentation and tooling.
• EVM Derived: Easily transition from the Ethereum ecosystem, with minor changes, using the Hyperion compiler and ZVM.

Benefits of Getting Started Developing on QRL 2.0 Today

Developing early on the QRL 2.0 testnet offers significant benefits.

• First-mover Advantages: Develop early on the QRL 2.0 testnet and gain a significant first-mover advantage, with access to direct support from the development team and a real, albeit test, environment.
• Early Community Awareness: Gain early community awareness and feedback, reducing competition when the mainnet launches.
• Quantum-Secure Applications, from Genesis: Ensure your decentralized applications (dApps) and users’ assets are safe as quantum computing technology advances from Genesis.

Differences between Ethereum and QRL 2.0

QRL 2.0 parallels Ethereum in core features: EVM-Derived ZVM, Web3 API, developer tools, and a MetaMask-like wallet. However, Zond prioritizes post-quantum security, integrating hash-based signatures and algorithms like ML-DSA, unlike Ethereum. This ensures quantum resistance, but comes at a few limitations until equivalent post-quantum secure standards exist.

• Block Time: 60 seconds per block (vs 10 to 15 seconds for Ethereum).
• Epoch Size: Big epoch size with 128 slots per epoch (approximately 128 minutes per epoch).
• Epoch Finalization Time: Approximately 4-6 hours (vs 16 minutes for Ethereum).
• Block Size: Larger block size, resulting in higher bandwidth usage and disk requirements.

Development Resource Links

• Documentation: https://test-zond.theqrl.org/testnet
• GitHub: https://github.com/theQRL
• Community & Discussions: https://github.com/orgs/theQRL/discussions

Stay Informed

For full details on upcoming features, please consult our official roadmap. You can find specifics on Project Zond within its dedicated section.

To stay up-to-date with the latest developments, you can also:

• Read deeper posts on our blog.
• Subscribe to our QRL 2.0 newsletter.
• Follow us on X/Twitter, or
• Join our community on Discord and Telegram.

Next Steps

Ready to dive in? Here’s how to get started on your quantum-safe journey with Zond:

1. Understand the Vision: Understand the “why” by reading our page on “A visionary, future-proof blockchain with unparalleled security.”
2. Join the conversation: Connect with our community on Discord, Telegram, or Reddit.
3. Build on QRL 2.0 testnet today: Head over to our testnet documentation and start experimenting with our testnet.

Whether you’re taking your first steps in development or are a seasoned pro, Zond offers a unique opportunity to explore the cutting edge of blockchain security.

Let’s build a quantum-safe future, together!