Celebrating five years of QRL
26th June 2023
After two years of painstaking development, we released the Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) on June 26, 2018, the first enterprise-grade blockchain with a full set of key foundational features, including:
- Desktop wallets for Linux, Mac, and Windows Web
- A web wallet with the full functionality of the desktop wallet
- Explorer, both on the web and bundled as part of the desktop wallet clients
- An API along with extensive documentation
- Colored Token functionality through QRT’s
- Two audits by Red4Sec and x41 D-Sec
- Flexible address format designed to be extensible and support a wide range of signature schemes and hash functions.
Over the next four years, we’ve continued to improve upon our network by adding things like an offline wallet generator, Mobile wallets for iOS along with Android, and Hardware wallet support with the Ledger Nano S/X. Other things we improved upon were multiple API’s documented at api.theqrl.org, a qrl-cli for easier command-line usage to compliment the node cli, Quantum resistant notarisation, and Weighted threshold multisignature transactions.
Progress over the last year
In our fifth year, the QRL team has shifted its attention to the final project Zond hard fork on the project’s roadmap, which involves releasing proof-of-stake as a consensus mechanism and enabling smart contract functionality compatible with Ethereum.
It has also been a watershed moment in project management and funding, and with that it heralded in the launch of the Foundation Grants Programme and Bug Bounty Programme.
Foundation Grants Programme
The QRL Foundation Grants Programme was established as a means of providing support for the QRL ecosystem. Applications are encouraged in the following areas: open source tools; education; open source infrastructure; post-quantum research; community and public goods; and open source infrastructure.
As the first round of Foundation grants closes, we are pleased to confirm the delivery of several grants and the formation of a few partnerships. These vary from cutting edge post-quantum cryptography research grants to a third party mobile-wallet application. Current grant partnerships include Geometry Labs, the Quantum Resistance Corporation, Singularity Systems, and Volt-Development.
QRL Bug Bounty Programme
Blockchains must identify and address vulnerabilities that malicious attackers could exploit. Third-party auditors such as Red4Sec and x41 D-Sec have been critical to QRL’s survival. However, capturing the realism of these penetration tests and vulnerability assessments can be difficult. The QRL Bug Bounty programme improves third-party audits by rewarding white-hat security researchers who share hackers’ knowledge and approach. On a continuous basis, this programme provides improved vulnerability detection and realistic threat simulation.
With QRL Zond, the emergence of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications will be available on a post-quantum secure blockchain network with Proof-of-Stake and EVM smart contract enhancements. Developers working on the QRL blockchain platform can be confident that they are on a stress-tested and meticulously maintained blockchain, with the importance of security and public safety first-in-mind.
QRL Zond
In September 2022 we were delighted to launch our Zond Public Devnet including smart contract functionality and proof-of-stake with the same level of security as our previous proof-of-work blockhain network that has been running unimpeded for over five years.
Organisations and individuals can now use the QRL Zond devnet protocol to create DeFi applications, Web3 applications, new NFTs for gaming, decentralised exchanges, and DAO and Governance, using turing-complete smart contracts. Because the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is widely supported, developers have access to the tools they need to create safe, cutting-edge decentralised finance solutions that are secure from adversaries with and without sufficiently powerful quantum computers to render other blockchains obsolete.
This is the future of the QRL blockchain, a forward-looking, environmentally friendly, proof-of-stake-powered public ledger that offers post-quantum safe transactions and turing-complete smart contract capabilities for developers to easily create a thriving ecosystem.
It’s time to build.
Some notable quantum developments
Since our last anniversary, we’ve identified a few noteworthy quantum news developments. Companies like IBM continue to meet or exceed their current roadmap objectives, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by a number of large organisations that are preparing for the inevitable security threat posed by a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. The US government has called for infrastructure security preparations. Banks are also securing their systems, such as JP Morgan’s hiring of Charles Lim to assist in protecting the financial system, or cloudflare protecting a fifth of the internet from the quantum threat.
Internet connectivity, government networks, and centralised financial systems are all approaching readiness for sufficiently powerful quantum computers that can break the underlying encryption. For decentralised finance, QRL is ready; learn why this is significant for decision-makers.
New Device Opens Door to Storing Quantum Information as Sound Waves
On 22 Jun 2023: Quantum computing, just like traditional computing, needs a way to store the information it uses and processes. On the computer you're using right now, information, whether it be photos of your dog, a reminder about a friend's birthday, or the words you're typing into your browser's address bar, has to be stored somewhere. Quantum computing, being a new field, is still working out where and how to store quantum information.
Scientists at Caltech have developed a new method for storing quantum information using sound waves. By leveraging phonons, the sound equivalent of photons, they have created a small device capable of efficiently translating electrical quantum states into sound and vice versa, enabling the storage and retrieval of quantum information. - caltech.edu
Archer Achieves Qubit Material Functionality at Room Temperature in Air
On 20 Jun 2023: Archer Materials Limited (“Archer”, the “Company”), a semiconductor company that advances the quantum computing and medical diagnostics industries, has achieved a significant development milestone in the functionality of its cutting-edge qubit material. - azoquantum.com
IBM says quantum processors are beginning to provide utility beyond classical methods
On 19 Jun 2023: IBM is one step closer to realizing a quantum computer with true utility that can outperform classical computers in certain workloads. The technology giant recently used its Quantum "Eagle" processor with 127 superconducting qubits to create entangled states that "simulate the dynamics of spins in a model of material and accurately predict properties such as its magnetization." - techspot.com
Why The White House Says It's Vital To Modernize Your Cryptography Now
On 13 Jun 2023: The advent of quantum computing poses a significant threat to traditional cryptographic systems, emphasising the need for cryptography to be modernised. Migrating to post-quantum cryptography allows organisations to future-proof their security infrastructure. Significant investments in quantum technologies by various countries, as well as the inclusion of the quantum threat in key challenges, highlight the urgency, such as the United States government mandating the transition to post-quantum cryptography.
- forbes.com
Chinese quantum computer is 180 million times faster on AI tasks: paper
On 08 Jun 2023: Chinese scientists have made a significant breakthrough in quantum computing with their Jiuzhang computer, claiming it can perform AI-related tasks 180 million times faster than the world's fastest classical supercomputer. The researchers believe this development could have applications in data mining, biological information, network analysis, and chemical modeling research. - scmp.com
Scaling Up Quantum Computers: RIKEN Scientists Connect Distant Silicon Qubits
On 05 Jun 2023: RIKEN scientists have made a significant advancement in quantum computing by successfully connecting two physically distant silicon spin qubits using coherent spin shuttling. This breakthrough overcomes the challenge of linking far-apart quantum dots, paving the way for the development of larger, more complex quantum computers based on silicon quantum dots. - scitechdaily
IBM wants to build a 100,000-qubit quantum computer
On 25 May 2023: Late last year, IBM took the record for the largest quantum computing system with a processor that contained 433 quantum bits, or qubits, the fundamental building blocks of quantum information processing. Now, the company has set its sights on a much bigger target: a 100,000-qubit machine that it aims to build within 10 years.— - technologyreview
NVIDIA, Rolls-Royce and Classiq Announce Quantum Computing Breakthrough for Computational Fluid Dynamics in Jet Engines
On 21 May 2023: NVIDIA, Rolls-Royce, and Classiq have achieved a quantum computing breakthrough for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in jet engines. They have designed and simulated the world's largest quantum computing circuit, measuring 10 million layers deep with 39 qubits. This development paves the way for more efficient modeling of jet engine designs using both classical and quantum computing methods. - nvidia.com
AWS launches skill development programme for quantum computing in India
On 09 May 2023: Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched two skill development programmes for quantum computing in India. The company is collaborating with academic institutions and learning platforms to integrate Amazon Braket — a fully managed quantum computing - thehindubusinessline
Australia sets ‘ambitious goal’ to build first complete quantum computer
On 02 May 2023: Australia will strive to build the first error-corrected quantum computer within the decade – a huge and expensive goal that, if achieved, would put the country at the forefront of the new technology. - smh.com.au
Cryptographers bet cash on when quantum computers will beat encryption
On 30 Apr 2023: It is thought that quantum computers will eventually be able to crack the encryption methods we use today, but exactly when this will happen is an open question. Now, one cryptographer has started a betting pool. - newscientist
Physicists take step toward fault-tolerant quantum computing
On 20 Apr 2023: Cornell researchers have recently taken a step toward fault-tolerant quantum computing: they constructed a simple model containing exotic particles called non-Abelian anyons, compact and practical enough to run on modern quantum hardware. Realizing these particles, which can only exist in two dimensions, is a move towards implementing it in the real world.
Eun-Ah Kim, professor of physics (A&S), “With this 10-qubit system, we were able to encode multiple non-Abelian anyons, and therefore multiple logical information-carrying qubits, and a precise recipe for what the experimentalists need to do every step of the way.” - cornell
India gives itself a mission to develop a 1000-qubit quantum computer in just eight years
On 20 Apr 2023: India's government has signed off on a ₹6003.65 crore ($730 million) plan to make the nation a quantum computing and communications power by the year 2031. - theregister
Prosperity at Risk: The Quantum Computer Threat to the US Financial System
On 03 Apr 2023: Due to the deep interconnectivity of the financial sector and the vulnerability of equity and credit markets, the US financial system is at risk of a quantum-enabled cyberattack. The consequences of such an attack could be catastrophic for the US and global economy, potentially surpassing the impact of the 2008 financial crisis or the Great Depression. - hudson.org
Japan quantum computer debut sets off scramble for tech breakthroughs
On 28 Mar 2023: Riken's first homegrown quantum computer could transform auto, finance, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. The government and Riken plan to connect an over-100-qubit quantum computer to the Fugaku supercomputer in fiscal 2025. Fujitsu plans to finish a 64-qubit quantum computer in fiscal 2023 and 1,000 in 2026. Fujitsu will collaborate with Fujifilm and Tokyo Electron, while Riken will research Japanese businesses and universities.
Quantum computing may help develop new materials like electric-vehicle batteries and artificial photosynthesis. In 2022, NEC started using quasi-quantum technology to plan parts deliveries, hoping to earn 10 billion yen ($76 million) from optimisation services by 2025. - nikkei
Nvidia positions for quantum computing with new products
On 21 Mar 2023: With new software and hardware, Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O), which powers most AI, is positioning itself as a quantum computing leader. Nvidia unveiled CUDA Quantum, a platform for building quantum algorithms in C++ and python, at GTC on Tuesday. The programme would run the algorithm on quantum and classical computers to find the most efficient solution. Nvidia's DGX Quantum hardware system connects quantum and classical computers. It is unclear when quantum computers could perform some calculations millions of times faster than the fastest supercomputer. Researchers can create hybrid applications and crucial quantum computing methods with DGX Quantum. - reuters
UK to invest £2.5bn in quantum computing drive
On 13 Mar 2023: The UK government is investing £2.5bn in quantum computing to keep the UK competitive in one of the world's fastest-moving fields. The National Quantum Computing Centre will play a leading role in the expanded programme. The UK has the most quantum start-ups in Europe, with a new government programme to boost homegrown companies and address the shortage of qualified workers. - ft
SpinQ Introduces Trio of Portable Quantum Computers
On 15 Dec 2022: Switch-Science has just announced a trio of quantum computing products. The company claims they are the world's first portable quantum computers. SpinQ Technology, a Chinese quantum computing company based in Shenzen, makes them.
The new "quantops" - the Gemini Mini, the Gemini and the Triangulum - have differing complexities and designs. Yet all of them feature a fully-integrated quantum computing system that's capable of operating at room temperature. - mit
Amazon hosts a first in Quantum computing: Aquila, a neutral-atom Quantum computer
On 11 Dec 2022: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is hosting Aquila by QuEra, the first publicly available neutral atom quantum computer on Amazon Braket.
For Aquila's 256-bit neutral-atom quantum processor, Qubits are laser developed in a vacuum chamber, where a cloud of rubidium atoms is trapped by magnetic fields. Laser light then is used to capture individual atoms of that cloud, holding them like tweezers, and constraining their motion so that they are effectively chilled to close to absolute zero. - interestingengineering
MIT researchers use quantum computing to observe entanglement
On 01 Dec 2022: Quantum information traveled across a quantum system in what could be understood as traversing a wormhole. A wormhole is a bridge between two remote spacetime regions. This experiment performed on the Sycamore quantum processor device at Google opens the doors to future experiments with quantum computers. The Sycamore 53-qubit quantum processor allows researchers to send signals "through the wormhole".
This opens up the possibility of future quantum gravity experiments with larger quantum computers. The work is supported by a Department of Energy Office of High Energy Physics QuantISED program grant. - mit
A quantum computer has simulated a wormhole for the first time
On 30 Nov 2022: A quantum computer has been used to simulate a holographic wormhole for the first time. The simulation used only nine quantum bits, or qubits, so it was very low-resolution.
Using a more powerful quantum computer could help bring the image into focus. That is crucial because some theories of quantum gravity are difficult or even impossible to completely understand using only classical computing. - newscientist
IBM quantum computer runs largest quantum program yet
On 17 Nov 2022: A quantum computer has run the largest quantum program yet. The computer made errors, but a mathematical method was able to extract a meaningful result anyway. This error-mitigation technique could help quantum computers become more useful than their imperfect hardware would otherwise allow them to be. IBM's quantum computer had qubits made from tiny wires that conduct electricity perfectly. Superconducting qubits are typically programmed by being hit with pulses of microwaves, so running the new program was equivalent to programming a microwave pulse sequence.
Previously, the team's largest meaningful quantum circuit used 26 qubits and contained 1080 individual operations. Now, the researchers have run a quantum circuit with 127 qubits and over 1700 individual operations. - newscientist
IBM unveils its 433 qubit Osprey quantum computer
On 09 Nov 2022: IBM's Osprey quantum processor has 433 qubits, up from the 127 qubits of its 2021 Eagle processor. The company plans to hit the 4,000-qubit stage with its Kookaburra processor in 2025. - techcrunch
SandboxAQ Buys Cryptosense to Deploy Post-Quantum Cryptography
On 22 Oct 2022: SandboxAQ acquires Cryptosense to enhance cybersecurity and encryption capabilities of its post-quantum cryptography solution. Financial details remained undisclosed. Amadeus Capital Partners led a $4.8 million round of funding, bringing total funding to $5.6 million. SandboxAQ has been selected by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology as one of twelve collaborators for the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
The company's board includes Eric Schmidt, who served as Google's CEO and chairman from 2001 to 2011. Cryptosense is now moving under the U.S. SandboxAQ said this acquisition will leverage a natural complementary and help realize synergies. "Building the Cryptosense organically would take more time, and it is critical to get this important technology in use fast". - eetimes
Cloudflare's post-quantum cryptography protects almost a fifth of the internet
On 03 Oct 2022: Cloudflare has launched post-quantum cryptography support for all websites and APIs served through its network. This will introduce quantum computer-proof encryption for all sites using Cloudflare, which accounts for 19.1% of all websites according to W3Techs. Researchers estimate the market for such solutions will be worth $476.8 million by 2030.
Cloudflare isn't the only CDN provider looking to secure the Internet from quantum computing threats. Other vendors like PQShield, which announced raising $20 million in funding earlier this year, are leveraging post-quantum cryptography to enable enterprises to develop secure cryptographic solutions for messaging platforms, apps and mobile technologies. - venturebeat
Quantinuum Is On A Roll - 17 Significant Quantum Computing Achievements In 12 Months
On 03 Oct 2022: Quantum computing company Quantinuum made three more announcements at IEEE Quantum Week 2022. Announcements include another quantum volume record, a new method to make two-qubit gates with higher fidelity and greater efficiency, and a milestone achievement of more than a half-million downloads of its software.
- Highlight 1: Shuttling ion pairs through intersections and negotiating 90 degree turns: It may not sound significant, but this research provides the capability to execute Quantinuum’s long term roadmap for future generations of H-series quantum computers. Ion trap researchers have been working on this problem for years. Prior to Quantinuum’s research, it was believed that the only way for paired ions to move through zones was to first separate the pair, then move them through junctions one at a time. That solution would have significantly increased processing time.
- Highlight 2: Closing the gap on fault-tolerant quantum error correction: Fault tolerant quantum error correction will make it possible to build quantum computers with enough qubits to solve problems far beyond the reach of today's supercomputers. Quantinuum researchers were able to construct a logical entangling circuit that had a higher fidelity than its physical counterpart.
17 other significant improvements over the last 12 months are:
- September 27, 2022: Quantinuum Sets New Record with Highest Ever Quantum Volume of 8192
- August 4, 2022: Logical qubits start outperforming physical qubits
- July 11, 2022: Quantum Milestone: Turning a Corner with Trapped Ions
- June 14, 2022: Quantinuum Completes Hardware Upgrade; Achieves 20 Fully Connected Qubits
- May 24, 2022: Quantinuum Introduces InQuanto to Explore Industrially Relevant Chemistry Problems on Today's Quantum Computers
- April 14, 2022: Quantinuum Announces Record Quantum Volume of 4096
- March 29, 2022: On the ArXiv: Modeling Carbon Capture with Quantum Computing
- March 29, 2022: Quantinuum Announces Updates to Quantum Natural Language Processing Toolkit λambeq, Enhancing Accessibility
- March 3, 2022: Quantinuum announces a world record in fidelity for quantum computing qubits
- December 29, 2021: Demonstrating Benefits of Quantum Upgradable Design Strategy: System Model H1-2 First to Prove 2,048 Quantum Volume
- December 7, 2021: Introducing Quantum Origin, The world's first quantum-enhanced cryptographic key generation platform to protect data from cybersecurity threats
- November 27, 2021: Quantum Milestone: We Can Now Detect and Correct Quantum Errors in Real Time
- November 29, 2021: LAMBEQ: A Toolkit for Quantum Natural Language Processing
- November 29, 2021: How a New Quantum Algorithm Could Help Solve Real-world Problems Sooner
- November 29, 2021: Quantum Milestone: 16-Fold Increase in Performance in a Year
- October 15, 2021: Researchers 'Hide' Ions to Reduce Quantum Errors By Reducing Crosstalk Errors An Order of Magnitude
- October 20, 2021: TKET: Quantum Software Tool Goes Open Source - forbes
PsiQuantum Has A Goal For Its Million Qubit Photonic Quantum Computer To Outperform Every Supercomputer On The Planet
On 21 Sep 2022: “We believed we had cracked the code for building a million-qubit quantum computer,” Dr. Shadbolt said. “Even though that's a huge number, the secret seemed simple. All we had to do was use the same process as the one being used to put billions of transistors into cell phones. We felt a large quantum computer wouldn’t exist in our lifetime unless we figured out how to build it in a semiconductor foundry. That idea has been turned into reality. We are now building quantum chips next to laptops and cell phone chips on the GlobalFoundries 300-millimeter platform.” - forbes
Quantum Computing's Impact Could Come Sooner Than You Think
On 16 Sep 2022: In 2013, Rigetti Computing began its push to make quantum computers. That effort could bear serious fruit starting in 2023, the company said Friday.
That's because next year, the Berkeley, California-based company plans to deliver both its fourth-generation machine, called Ankaa, and an expanded model called Lyra. The company hopes those machines will usher in "quantum advantage," when the radically different machines mature into devices that actually deliver results out of the reach of conventional computers, said Rigetti founder and Chief Executive Chad Rigetti. - cnet
China's Baidu reveals its first quantum computer called Qianshi
On 25 Aug 2022: Chinese search engine giant Baidu Inc revealed its first quantum computer on Thursday and is ready to make it available to external users, joining the global race to apply the technology to practical uses. - reuters
Amazon, IBM Move Swiftly on Post-Quantum Cryptographic Algorithms Selected by NIST
On 04 Aug 2022: A month after the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) revealed the first quantum-safe algorithms, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM have swiftly moved forward. Google was also quick to outline an aggressive implementation plan for its cloud service that it started a decade ago. - darkreading
JPMorgan hires scientist Charles Lim to help protect financial system from quantum-supremacy threat
On 28 Jul 2022: JPMorgan Chase has hired a quantum-computing expert to be the bank's global head for quantum communications and cryptography, according to a memo obtained by CNBC. - cnbc
Continued Progress at Google AI Quantum: QVM, Cirq 1.0, Surface Code Scaling, and More Sycamore Qubits
On 23 Jul 2022: Google held its Quantum Summer Symposium last week and described a number of new developments that shows they are continuing to progress in their quantum developments. - quantumcomputingreport
Researchers find the missing photonic link to enable an all-silicon quantum internet
On 13 Jul 2022: Researchers at Simon Fraser University have made a crucial breakthrough in the development of quantum technology.
Their research, published in Nature today, describes their observations of more than 150,000 silicon "T center" photon-spin qubits, an important milestone that unlocks immediate opportunities to construct massively scalable quantum computers and the quantum internet that will connect them. - physorg
Quantum hacking is the next big cybersecurity threat. Here's how companies should prepare for 'Y2Q'
On 01 Jul 2022: It isn't going to be easy for business to deal with cybersecurity once quantum computers see the light of day. CEOs have no choice but to start thinking about how to take on a threat that is inevitable. As long as business leaders act decisively, and early, they're likely to find ways to survive the Y2Q problem. However, they must remember that the quantum clock is already ticking. - Fortune
26th June 2023
