coindesk.com
Naoris Protocol debuted its quantum-resistant blockchain Thursday, which it says is designed to stay secure even against future powerful quantum computers that could break modern day cryptography.
"Mainnet represents the transition from proof-of-concept to production infrastructure. The network has already validated over 100 million transactions using post-quantum cryptography. That is not a roadmap promise; it is measured, operational capacity,” Nathaniel Szerezla, chief growth officer of Naoris Protocol, said.
The debut comes as legacy chains Bitcoin and Ethereum confront the threat of a “quantum apocalypse.” Known as Q-Day, this is the point when future quantum computers could crack the encryption securing most blockchains.
Concerns escalated this week after Google reported that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break Bitcoin’s blockchain with fewer than 500,000 qubits — far lower than previous estimates. At the same time, another report flagged potential vulnerabilities in Ethereum that could put $100 billion on the blockchain at risk.
Because blockchain transactions such as those on Bitcoin and Ethereum are permanent, any weakness today could be exploited by future quantum computers with the necessary power.
Naoris is built different
This is where Naoris stands out. It is built from the start using post-quantum cryptography and algorithms approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to protect accounts, transactions, and digital assets, according to the press release shared with CoinDesk.
The system incorporates an "irreversible security transition." This means that once a user adopts post-quantum keys, it has to use quantum-resistant signatures for transactions. The protocol automatically blocks transaction attempts using traditional, vulnerable cryptographic methods, helping protect assets even if classical cryptography becomes vulnerable.
More importantly, while its quantum-resistant security is right now available only on its own mainnet, the system is build with a broad scope in mind for potential support to wallets, exchanges, Layer 2 networks, and DeFi platforms in the future.
The mainnet launched with an invite-only group of strategic participants who operate the first validator nodes and form the network’s initial trust layer, laying a strong foundation before broader expansion. The protocol was tested at scale in an extensive testnet phase, during which it detected and mitigated over 603 million threats, processed more than 106 million post-quantum transactions, created over 3.3 million wallets, and activated more than one million security nodes globally.
The protocol's native token NAORIS drives how the network works, helping secure transactions, enforce rules, and build trust among users. At press time, the token's market cap was $36 million.