Sui has adopted ML-DSA-65 and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s as post-quantum signature schemes, assigning the former to native accounts and the latter to contract vaults, according to an announcement on the network.
The move addresses the cryptographic vulnerability posed by sufficiently powerful quantum computers, which could theoretically break the elliptic-curve signatures that currently secure most blockchain accounts. Both schemes Sui selected are based on lattice-based cryptography and have been standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology as part of its post-quantum cryptography project launched in 2016.
ML-DSA-65, derived from the Dilithium algorithm, will protect standard user accounts on Sui. The scheme uses a 65-byte signature and is designed for straightforward public-key operations. SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s, a variant of the SPHINCS+ algorithm, will secure contract vaults, smart contract-controlled storage or execution environments where transactions require additional verification layers.
Quantum computing remains largely theoretical for cryptographic purposes; no quantum computer has yet demonstrated the scale needed to factor the encryption keys underlying blockchain networks. In 2023, the Bitcoin network tested taproot-compatible Schnorr signatures as a potential quantum migration path, though no mainnet upgrade has been adopted.
Sui's dual-scheme approach separates the cryptographic standards by account type. Native accounts require speed and simplicity; contract vaults involve state changes that demand additional computational assurance. ML-DSA-65 signatures are substantially larger than the secp256k1 elliptic-curve signatures Sui currently uses, increasing on-chain storage and transaction data volume.
Sui has integrated post-quantum signature schemes into its protocol now, before broader industry adoption. Ethereum and Solana have not yet integrated post-quantum signature schemes into their main protocols.
