Preparing Ethereum Data for the Age of Quantum Computers

We hear plenty of talk about how future quantum computers could someday break standard blockchain security. Everyday hardware sending data to Ethereum today will likely still be running when that threat arrives. I read a new study that looks at how we can start quantum proofing device data on Ethereum right now. It turns out we might not need to wait for major network changes to make it happen safely.

The researchers set out to measure the exact gas costs of using post quantum signatures on Ethereum under current and future network rules. They tested multiple signature types like ML-DSA, Falcon, SLH-DSA, LMS and XMSS on an EVM using actual verifier code. Signing every single record directly turned out to cost 8.7 times more than standard ECDSA because calldata rules set the price. If a device batches 100 records under one Merkle root, an LMS verifier costs about 3,350 gas per record compared to 245 gas for standard signatures. Upcoming network upgrades will raise calldata floor designs by up to 1.9 times, but this batching method stays completely unaffected. With proposed precompiles, an option like ML-DSA-44 brings the cost down to 1,031 gas per record, while adding a hybrid signature costs just 2.5% more. Ultimately, post quantum protection for device data is ready to deploy right now on Ethereum without protocol changes as long as batching fits the project.

Curious about the details? Look up Post-Quantum Authentication of IoT Data on Ethereum: Signatures, the Calldata Floor and Device-Signed Merkle Roots at arxiv.org/abs/2611.08108. The authors are Ming-Fong Sie.

This is not financial advice. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only.

The cover image was generated by AI.