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Ripple<\/b> is preparing the XRP Ledger for the \u201c<\/span>Q-Day<\/span><\/i>\u201d scenario, the point when quantum computers become powerful enough to threaten the digital signatures protecting wallets and blockchain transactions. The plan announced by Ripple in 2026 sets a target to bring XRPL to <\/span>post-quantum<\/b> readiness before 2028, as the broader crypto industry accelerates preparations for new cryptographic risks following NIST standards and new research from <\/span>Google Quantum AI<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Ripple announced its post-quantum readiness <\/span>roadmap for the XRP Ledger <\/span><\/a>on April 20, 2026, aiming to bring the network into a state of \u201cfull readiness\u201d no later than 2028. The company describes this not as a single algorithm swap, but as an upgrade process involving performance, storage, usability, cryptography, and protocol design.<\/span><\/p>\n This plan aims to help financial infrastructure adapt before quantum computing becomes a direct threat, rather than waiting until a transition could disrupt XRPL systems, assets, and users, Ayo Akinyele, senior director of engineering at Ripple, told CoinDesk.<\/span><\/p>\n Ripple\u2019s roadmap consists of four main phases:<\/span><\/p>\n According to <\/span>Project Eleven<\/span><\/a>, this collaboration includes evaluating XRPL\u2019s validator, custody, networking, and wallet layers, deploying hybrid signatures, benchmarking on Devnet, and building custody wallet prototypes supporting post-quantum security.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Q-Day<\/span><\/i>\u201d is how researchers refer to the point when quantum computers are powerful enough to break the cryptographic algorithms protecting many today\u2019s digital systems. For blockchains, the vulnerable point lies in digital signatures and public keys, not the ability to \u201cbreak the entire blockchain\u201d in a generic sense. Many major networks still rely on elliptic-curve cryptography to verify transactions; the XRP Ledger specifically currently supports keys based on secp256k1 and Ed25519.<\/span><\/p>\n When an account signs a transaction, that account\u2019s public key can appear on-chain. If a cryptographically relevant quantum computer emerges, an attacker could theoretically use that public key to derive the private key and gain control of the assets. Therefore, accounts that have previously sent transactions are typically more vulnerable than accounts that have only received assets, while accounts holding long-term value represent the group that needs early migration preparation.<\/span><\/p>\n Research published by <\/span>Google Quantum AI in March 2026<\/span><\/a> has made this discussion more urgent. Google estimates that an attack on the \u201c<\/span>elliptic-curve discrete logarithm<\/span><\/i>\u201d on secp256k1, the foundational problem protecting many blockchain signatures today, could require no more than 1,200 logical qubits and 90 million Toffoli gates, or no more than 1,450 logical qubits and 70 million Toffoli gates. Under a given hardware model, this figure could correspond to under 500,000 physical qubits, significantly lower than many previous estimates.<\/span><\/p>\n Google\u2019s estimates do not create an immediate operational risk for major blockchains, but they make it difficult for migration plans to be postponed indefinitely. For networks with millions of users involving numerous wallets, exchanges, validators, and custody providers, cryptographic transition is a multi-year process, not a reaction of a few weeks.<\/span><\/p>\nRipple\u2019s Post-Quantum Roadmap<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Q-Day Puts Exposed Public Keys at Risk<\/b><\/h2>\n
The Industry Is Moving Toward Post-Quantum Standards<\/b><\/h2>\n