Hey, I found a pretty interesting piece of news related to Solana that not many people noticed, so I'm sharing it again for everyone in an easier-to-understand perspective.
Today, the Solana Foundation just announced that they are testing quantum computer-resistant transactions through a pilot project called Project Eleven. It may sound a bit far-fetched to some, but in reality, this is a very long-term story directly related to the security of crypto in the future.
Simply put, Solana is preparing for the scenario where quantum computers could break current encryption algorithms. Solana is collaborating with Project Eleven, a company specializing in post-quantum security to:
Comprehensive assessment of quantum computer risks for Solana
Build a Solana testnet using post-quantum digital signatures
Check whether the 'quantum-resistant' transaction can run on a large scale or not
The initial results are quite impressive:
They stated that end-to-end quantum-resistant transactions are feasible and scalable, although this type of encryption is inherently much more resource-intensive than the current signature used by Solana (Ed25519).
Why is this important and what does it mean for the ecosystem?
Because in recent years, many people in the industry have begun to worry about quantum computers:
Vitalik Buterin once said there is about a 20% chance that quantum computers could break current encryption before 2030.
On the contrary, Adam Back believes that Bitcoin is still safe for at least another 20–40 years.
Although currently no one is certain about the impact of quantum computers, if it does happen, it would be like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.
I evaluate that Solana has done quite well here in preparing for this. The team has proactively tested on the testnet, assessing costs, speed, and scalability.
Meanwhile, the implementation of quantum resistance is quite challenging. The issue is not necessarily the technology (since quantum-resistant solutions theoretically exist), but rather the consensus mechanism.
Some experts point out that if Bitcoin must migrate to quantum-resistant addresses, reaching consensus to 'freeze' old wallets is nearly impossible. If not accomplished, the amount of BTC from old wallets could be exploited and create a significant supply shock.
From a long-term perspective, I highly appreciate Solana's approach to this issue: proactive, technical, and practical, helping to reinforce trust in $SOL .
Whether quantum computers will arrive soon is still unknown, but clearly the race has already begun.