Principle 3 of 10
Post-Quantum Security
All cryptographic primitives must resist attacks by quantum computers.
NIST completed its post-quantum cryptography standardisation in 2024, producing ML-DSA (FIPS 204), Falcon/FN-DSA (FIPS 206), and ML-KEM (FIPS 203). A distributed ledger launched or upgraded after 2024 that does not use these standards is making a deliberate choice to remain vulnerable.
Scoring Rubric
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 7–10 | All cryptographic primitives are NIST PQC Level 2 or higher from genesis; no legacy ECDSA paths exist. |
| 4–6 | PQC migration roadmap published with concrete timeline and testnet implementation. |
| 0–3 | No PQC plan; ECDSA-only; or roadmap without implementation. |
Data Sources
- Protocol specification review
- Cryptographic primitive audit reports
- GitHub source verification