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XRP Ledger proposes quantum-resistant accounts with no fee increase
The XRPL Foundation has outlined a plan to let users add NIST-approved ML-DSA-44 keys and retire existing ones, with a migration study set for 2027.
Key takeaways
- No fee hike. The proposal keeps base network fees unchanged despite larger transaction storage needs.
- Migration study. A study on moving existing accounts to the new system is scheduled for the first half of 2027.
- 2028 target. The upgrade is part of Ripple's broader aim of achieving full quantum protection by 2028.
What happened
The XRP Ledger Foundation has put forward a design for quantum-resistant accounts, according to reports from CoinGape and U.Today. Under the proposal, account holders could add a quantum-resistant signing key and switch off their existing keys, giving wallets protection against future computing threats. The feature has been proposed but not yet implemented.
The scheme relies on ML-DSA-44, a digital signature standard approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2024. Users would be able to adopt the new keys without altering how they store or access their assets, and the Foundation intends to hold base network fees steady even though the new signatures require more storage.
The concern the design addresses is that XRP Ledger transactions can reveal public keys when users authorize payments. If quantum computers eventually become powerful enough, exposed keys could in theory be used to break into accounts. The proposal is meant to reduce that exposure before such attacks become practical on blockchain networks.
Work on the upgrade is not finished. Developers are still resolving inconsistencies in key generation across the Python, JavaScript and server versions of the proposed system, and the Foundation has not yet published tests of full validator performance with the new signatures.
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What the data shows
According to CoinGape, the ML-DSA-44 signature system requires 3,732 bytes for public keys and signatures. With database overhead, each protected payment would consume 5,331 bytes of storage, compared with 1,704 bytes for a current payment. The Foundation plans to keep base fees unchanged despite the added storage demand.
The roadmap budgets between $215,000 and $255,000 for technical reviews and security audits, along with 640 development hours. A quantum migration study is planned for the first half of 2027, with development continuing afterward.
Background
The proposal follows other recent changes on the XRP Ledger. CoinGape reported that the ledger previously put forward controls aimed at preventing unauthorized stablecoin minting by approved partners, that the Batch amendment went live to let users combine multiple transactions into one operation, and that Ripple approved a proposal covering sponsored transaction fees and reserves so another party can cover certain account costs.
What to watch
Several items remain open. The Foundation has not published validator performance tests for the quantum-resistant signatures, and the key-generation inconsistencies between the Python, JavaScript and server implementations still need to be resolved. The migration study in the first half of 2027 should clarify how existing accounts would move to the new system and what the process would require from users.
Questions readers ask
Will users pay more in fees for quantum-resistant accounts?
The Foundation plans to keep base network fees the same, even though the new signatures require more storage per transaction.
When would existing accounts migrate?
A migration study is scheduled for the first half of 2027, with development continuing after that.
Which signature standard is used?
The proposal uses ML-DSA-44, a standard approved by NIST in 2024.
