NEAR Founder Says Post-Quantum Cryptography to Roll Out by End of Second Quarter

NEAR Protocol said it plans to introduce post-quantum cryptography to address potential threats from quantum computing, a move aimed at bolstering the blockchain network’s long-term security.

On June 2, NEAR Protocol co-founder Illia Polosukhin wrote on X that “NEAR is planning to deploy post-quantum crypto by the end of Q2.” The rollout is intended to give users time to upgrade, he said.

Post-quantum cryptography refers to encryption designed to remain secure in a quantum computing environment. Advances in quantum computing have raised concerns that some existing public-key cryptography systems could become vulnerable over time.

Polosukhin also referred to research on quantum algorithms using artificial intelligence. He wrote that EigenCloud is solving quantum algorithm problems with AI, adding that “science is accelerating, and open source will drive it.”