Sui is Getting Ready For The Quantum Era

Sui Network is adding two NIST-approved post-quantum signature schemes to its protocol, positioning itself as one of the first layer-1 blockchains to move toward quantum-resistant infrastructure ahead of what many researchers consider an inevitable shift in the computing landscape.

Two Schemes, Two Use Cases

The integration covers a dual-layer approach. ML-DSA-65 will secure everyday user accounts, while SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s will protect high-value vaults held inside Move smart contracts. ML-DSA is a lattice-based digital signature scheme, while SLH-DSA is a stateless hash-based signature scheme whose security rests solely on hash function properties. Because the two rest on different mathematics, a weakness found in one does not undermine the other.

For high-value assets, hash-based signatures are handled inside Move contracts rather than the protocol core, which means Sui can stay compatible with whichever post-quantum standards the wider industry settles on without a core protocol upgrade.

The network also flagged a well-documented risk known as "harvest now, decrypt later," where adversaries collect exposed public keys today and plan to exploit them once sufficiently powerful quantum computers exist. Digital signatures require long-term security guarantees because signatures can be harvested and attacked retroactively once large-scale quantum computers exist.

Opt-In and Non-Disruptive

Crucially, the update is opt-in. An ML-DSA-65 private key is a 32-byte seed, the same size wallets store today, derived from the same recovery phrase through a new standard derivation path. Wallets back up and restore exactly as they do now. Address aliases, already deployed on Sui, let an account update its authorization key to a post-quantum key while keeping its address and its assets in place. Existing accounts and applications will not be affected.

Both schemes follow NIST's standardized post-quantum algorithms and the joint CISA/NSA/NIST quantum-readiness roadmap. NIST finalized three post-quantum cryptographic standards on August 13, 2024, concluding an eight-year evaluation process.

Officials described the move as a routine protocol update rather than a network rebuild. Quantum-safe vaults are targeted for mainnet deployment later this year.

Sources:
Sui Adopts Post-Quantum Signature Schemes In Move Toward Quantum Readiness (Investing.com / Chainwire)
NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Project (NIST CSRC)