Ripple released a detailed four-phase roadmap on April 20 to protect the XRP Ledger from future quantum computing attacks, with Phase 2 testing already underway, targeting full post-quantum cryptography implementation no later than 2028, as SoFi separately enabled XRP deposits for retail users the same week.
Summary
- Ripple published a four-phase post-quantum cryptography roadmap on April 20, with Phase 2 NIST-standard algorithm testing already active in partnership with Project Eleven.
- The plan includes a Phase 1 Quantum-Day contingency that would immediately block classical signatures and force migration to quantum-safe accounts if current cryptography is compromised ahead of schedule.
- XRPL’s native key rotation gives it a structural advantage over Ethereum and Bitcoin in a post-quantum migration, allowing users to update cryptographic keys without moving funds or abandoning accounts.
Ripple published a four-phase roadmap on April 20 to make the XRP Ledger resistant to quantum computing attacks, with Ayo Akinyele, Senior Director of Engineering at RippleX, stating that the quantum threat has shifted “from theoretical to credible, and preparation timelines now matter.” The roadmap targets full quantum readiness no later than 2028 and was developed in response to Google Quantum AI research showing that approximately 500,000 physical qubits could eventually break the elliptic curve cryptography that secures most blockchain wallets today.
XRP Ledger Quantum Resistant Roadmap Covers Four Phases Through 2028
As crypto.news reported, the roadmap is structured around two parallel objectives: preserving XRPL’s operational performance throughout the transition, and building contingency measures in case a quantum threat arrives earlier than projected. Phase 1 establishes a Quantum-Day emergency protocol that would immediately block classical signatures across the network and direct users to migrate to quantum-safe accounts using zero-knowledge proofs to prove key ownership without exposing vulnerable cryptographic material. Phase 2 is already active in the first half of 2026, with Ripple’s applied cryptography team testing NIST-standardized post-quantum algorithms against real XRPL workloads and benchmarking their effects on signature size, storage, bandwidth, and throughput. Core engineer Denis Angell has already deployed ML-DSA quantum-safe signatures on XRPL’s AlphaNet as part of this phase. Phase 3, targeted for the second half of 2026, will deploy candidate post-quantum signature schemes alongside existing elliptic curve signatures on Devnet for developer testing without touching mainnet. Phase 4 proposes a formal XRPL network amendment by 2028 implementing native post-quantum cryptography at full production scale.
XRPL’s Structural Advantages in a Post-Quantum Migration
The XRP Ledger has two protocol-native features that give it a migration advantage over Bitcoin and Ethereum. XRPL supports native key rotation, allowing users to replace cryptographic keys without changing their account address or moving funds, meaning holders will not need to create new accounts or transfer assets during the upgrade. Ethereum has no protocol-level equivalent, meaning any post-quantum migration on Ethereum would require users to manually move all assets to entirely new accounts, a process significantly complicated by smart contract dependencies. XRPL also supports deterministic seed-based key generation, which enables coordinated, network-wide cryptographic upgrades without requiring individual manual action from every holder. As crypto.news documented, Project Eleven, a quantum security research firm that raised $20 million in a January 2026 Series A, is partnering with Ripple on validator-level testing, developer benchmarking, and a post-quantum custody wallet prototype as part of Phase 2 delivery.
The Broader Quantum Threat to Crypto Infrastructure
Ripple’s roadmap is the most detailed public post-quantum commitment from any major blockchain network and positions XRPL ahead of the broader industry response. As crypto.news tracked, Coinbase’s cryptography advisory board, which includes Stanford’s Dan Boneh and Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, published a 50-page analysis the same week warning that post-quantum transitions across blockchains, wallets, and exchanges could take years to execute safely even after technical standards are in place. Bitcoin developers remain split between optional opt-in upgrades and more forceful migration measures, while Ethereum is targeting 2029 through a multi-fork roadmap. XRP traded at $1.42 on April 20 when the announcement landed, rising approximately 5% intraday on the news before settling back. On the same day, SoFi separately confirmed that XRP deposits are now available for retail users on its platform, though external wallet withdrawals remain restricted pending further regulatory review.
Ripple said the 2028 target is contingent on successful Devnet testing in Phase 3, ecosystem-wide coordination with validators, and passage of a formal network amendment, each of which introduces its own execution risk to the timeline.
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