Category: Quantum Security

Hybrid PQC combines classical (ECDSA) and post-quantum (ML-DSA) algorithms in one system. Both must verify for a transaction to succeed. NIST recommends this for the transition period and BMIC implements it at the wallet level. Why Not Just Switch? ECDSA has decades of battle-testing. ML-DSA is thoroughly vetted but newer. SIKE’s catastrophic break in 2022… Continue reading Hybrid Cryptography: The Belt-and-Suspenders Approach to Quantum Security

The Learning With Errors (LWE) problem is the mathematical foundation of ML-KEM and ML-DSA — the NIST PQC algorithms that BMIC implements. LWE is believed to be hard for both classical and quantum computers, making it the bedrock of post-quantum cryptography. LWE in Plain English Imagine a system of equations with small random errors added… Continue reading The Learning With Errors Problem: The Mathematics Behind Quantum Security

NIST published three PQC standards in 2024: ML-KEM (FIPS 203) for key encapsulation, ML-DSA (FIPS 204) for digital signatures, and SLH-DSA (FIPS 205) for hash-based signatures. These replace RSA and ECDSA for quantum-resistant security. Why NIST Matters NIST’s 7-year evaluation involved hundreds of cryptographers worldwide. The standards underwent intense cryptanalysis from academic and intelligence community… Continue reading NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards: The Definitive 2026 Guide

FN-DSA (Falcon) is a lattice-based signature scheme using NTRU lattices, expected as an additional NIST PQC standard. It offers the most compact PQC signatures (666 bytes for Falcon-512) but has complex implementation requirements. Why Falcon Matters Falcon’s 666-byte signatures are dramatically smaller than ML-DSA’s 3,309 bytes — closer to ECDSA’s 72 bytes. For blockchain applications… Continue reading FN-DSA (Falcon) Explained: The NTRU Lattice Signature Coming to NIST

Breaking RSA-2048 requires approximately 4,000 logical qubits. ECDSA-256 requires 2,500-10,000 logical qubits. With current error correction, this translates to millions of physical qubits — a gap that is closing rapidly. The Numbers Research estimates breaking ECDSA-256 at 2,330-10,000 logical qubits and billions of quantum gates. Each logical qubit requires ~1,000-10,000 physical qubits for error correction.… Continue reading How Many Qubits Does It Take to Break RSA-2048 and ECDSA-256?

China has invested over $15 billion in quantum computing with the world’s largest quantum research facility. Chinese programmes operate with less transparency than Western counterparts. The Scale of Investment China’s National Laboratory for Quantum Information Science is the world’s largest facility. Quantum computing is designated a strategic priority with massive state funding. Researchers have demonstrated… Continue reading China’s Quantum Computing Programme and the Geopolitical Threat to Crypto

We are in Stage 2 of 5: Active Harvesting. Quantum computers can’t yet break keys (Stage 3), but adversaries are collecting public keys now. Most investors remain in Stage 1 (Denial). Stage 1: Denial (2015-2022) The quantum threat was dismissed as science fiction. Crypto developers acknowledged theoretical vulnerability but considered it too distant. Most of… Continue reading The 5 Stages of Quantum Risk for Crypto: Where Are We in 2026?

Quantum supremacy is performing a task faster than classical computers. Crypto cares about quantum advantage for cryptanalysis — running Shor’s algorithm at scale against real keys. Three Thresholds Supremacy (achieved 2019): beating classical on a specific task. Advantage: practical speedup for useful problems. Cryptographic relevance: breaking real-world keys. Each is a higher bar. Google achieved… Continue reading Quantum Supremacy vs Quantum Advantage: What Actually Matters for Crypto Security

Is the quantum threat real or hype? The quantum threat is established mathematics, not speculation. Shor’s algorithm will break ECDSA. The uncertainty is timing (2029-2035), not whether it will happen. Separating Fact from Fear What is fact: Shor’s algorithm breaks ECDSA and RSA. NIST has standardised PQC replacements. The NSA mandates PQC migration. Intelligence agencies… Continue reading The Quantum Apocalypse: Hype vs Reality for Crypto Investors in 2026

Who leads quantum computing? IBM targets 100,000+ qubit systems by early 2030s. Google’s Willow chip demonstrated breakthrough error correction. China’s programmes advance with less transparency. The Hardware Race IBM pursues superconducting transmon qubits with a public roadmap. Google focuses on surface code error correction. China spans multiple qubit technologies. Microsoft takes a different path with… Continue reading IBM, Google, and the Quantum Computing Race: What Every Crypto Holder Must Know