Sui Prepares to Implement New Signatures for Quantum-Resistant Accounts

A blockchain Sui has announced the adoption of two post-quantum signature schemes approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This update will allow users to protect their accounts against future threats posed by quantum computing using the same set of existing recovery phrases.

The network will integrate ML-DSA-65 as the native scheme for regular accounts, while SLH-DSA-SHA2-128 will be used for vaults targeting Move smart contracts and higher-value assets.

According to the team, this initiative addresses the risk that quantum computers could potentially break the existing protection systems of blockchain. Since public keys are exposed after each transaction, attackers can save them today and attempt to exploit them in the future.

"In most systems, an attacker needs to first gain access to a vulnerability before they can start processing keys," Sui stated. "On the blockchain, this key is permanently exposed and revealed when an account conducts a transaction."

The team emphasized that Sui's architecture is designed to accommodate new signature schemes without altering the way the network operates.

"Sui is built for agility in the crypto space, meaning that signature schemes can be added without disrupting the foundation of the network," the team stated. "This characteristic is the difference between migration and rebuilding, so the work described here is a routine update to the protocol's functionality rather than a change to the existing consensus or state."

ML-DSA-65, based on the standard FIPS 204, was chosen because it provides a greater security margin following recent tests against other post-quantum candidates.

"Although this finding does not impact ML-DSA, its speed is the reason we retain the security margin rather than opting for existing cheaper parameters," Sui explained.

As for SLH-DSA-SHA2-128, compliant with FIPS 205, it will protect higher-value assets through smart contracts.

Users can migrate to the new keys without creating new recovery phrases; at the same time, address aliases will allow for updating authentication without moving assets between accounts.

"This is the price the entire industry pays for quantum resistance," Sui remarked when commenting on how the new signatures will increase transaction size.

Vaults with post-quantum protection are expected to go live on the mainnet within 2026. Content with ML-DSA-65 in native accounts is planned to enter the testnet by the end of the year, while full authentication on the mainnet is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2027.

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