Effects of Post Quantum Cryptography on Financial Blockchains

Abstract

Quantum computing presents a concrete threat to the cryptographic infrastructure of financial cryptocurrency systems. Commonly used public-key schemes, which are based on integer factorization and discrete logarithms, are vulnerable to quantum algorithms such as Shor’s. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) provides distinct primitives that are conjectured to be resistant to known quantum computing attacks. Despite ongoing standardization efforts, these schemes remain largely untested in production-scale blockchain environments. Additionally, integrating PQC into distributed ledger systems introduces implementation challenges, including increased key and signature sizes, protocol compatibility issues, as well as potential disruptions to transaction verification, privacy guarantees, and governance mechanisms. This survey systematically examines the relationship between PQC and cryptocurrency systems, with a focus on algorithmic suitability, protocol-level impact, and deployment constraints.