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Why I Think QRL Is the Best Quantum-Resistant Coin

A coin is only as quantum-safe as its weaker layer: wallet signatures or consensus. Here is how QRL compares with seven other coins, and why it is my pick.

Published 3 min read

People ask me why I think QRL is the best quantum-resistant crypto when there are newer ones out there. My answer starts with something most people miss. Every blockchain uses cryptography in two places. Your wallet signs transactions to prove the coins are yours. And the network has to agree on which blocks are real, which is called consensus. Proof-of-work chains agree through mining, which only uses hashing. Proof-of-stake chains agree through validators who sign their votes. A coin is only as quantum-safe as the weaker of the two.

The kind of cryptography matters too. Elliptic curves, used by most of crypto today, will fall to a large quantum computer. Lattice schemes like ML-DSA are NIST's new standards, built to resist quantum attacks. Hash-based schemes rest on the fewest assumptions of all, only the hash functions every blockchain already depends on. And all of it should be open source and audited, so anyone can check.

✅ Quantum-safe (hash-based or lattice) · ❌️ Not quantum-safe (elliptic curve: a large quantum computer can break it) · ⚠️ Partly quantum-safe, or not documented

CoinWalletConsensusMigration needed?Open sourceAudits
QRL 1.0 (since 2018)✅ XMSS, hash-based, 256-bit address hash✅ Proof of work, hash-based✅ No, safe todayYesRed4Sec, X41 D-Sec
QRL 2.0 (testnet)✅ ML-DSA-87, lattice, NIST's highest level (about 256-bit). SPHINCS+ (hash-based) planned✅ Proof of stake, ML-DSA-87, lattice✅ No, safe todayYesTrail of Bits, Halborn, more under way
Mochimo (since 2018)✅ WOTS+, hash-based, 160-bit address hash⚠️ Proof of stake since 2026, validator signing undocumented⚠️ Unclear, not documentedSource-available, use restricted to MochimoOne 2026 code audit, auditor not named
Abelian (since 2022)✅ Custom lattice scheme✅ Proof of work, hash-based✅ No, safe todayPublic code, no licenceNone found
Quantus (since 2026)✅ ML-DSA-87 or ML-DSA-65, lattice✅ Proof of work, hash-based✅ No, safe todayYesNeodyme and Eiger completed, others in progress
Algorand (since 2019)⚠️ Elliptic curve, Falcon opt-in since 2025❌️ Elliptic curve❌️ Yes, wallets and consensusYesWidely reviewed
Ethereum (since 2015)❌️ Elliptic curve❌️ Elliptic curve, hash-based planned for about 2029❌️ Yes, wallets and consensusYesWidely reviewed
Bitcoin (since 2009)❌️ Elliptic curve✅ Proof of work, hash-based❌️ Yes, walletsYesWidely reviewed

QRL 1.0 is the only coin here that's hash-based in both places, and it has been that way for every account and every block since 2018, with nobody needing to opt in. Bitcoin shows why both layers matter: its mining is safe, but its wallets are exposed. Mochimo came closest, but its shorter address hash leaves a thinner margin. A quantum computer roughly halves a hash's strength, taking 256 bits down to about 128, but 160 bits to about 80.

QRL 2.0's real strength is crypto agility. Every 2.0 address is built from a small type tag that says which signature scheme it uses. ML-DSA-87 comes first, SPHINCS+ is planned next, and QRL's Go library already includes Falcon too. New schemes can be added as cryptography evolves, without redesigning addresses or forcing everyone to start over. Combine that with proof of stake and smart contracts that are quantum-safe from launch, and you have a design built to last, not just to ship.

Is QRL perfect? No. 2.0 is still on testnet, audits are at 65%, and the team moves slower than I'd like. I'd also love to see the same agility extended to validator keys.

But QRL didn't add quantum resistance as a feature. It was built for it from the start, and built to keep adapting. That's why it's my pick.

Sources

  1. QRL address format (QRL documentation)
  2. Red4Sec security audit concludes: a summary (QRL blog)
  3. QRL team performs proof-of-stake updates, X41 D-Sec audit of enQlave (Crowdfund Insider, October 2020)
  4. QRL roadmap
  5. QRL 2.0 overview
  6. go-qrllib: QRL post-quantum cryptography library (GitHub)
  7. qrysm: QRL 2.0 proof-of-stake consensus client (GitHub)
  8. Trail of Bits publishes security assessment of go-qrllib, all findings resolved (QRL, August 2026)
  9. Halborn audit validates QRL's post-quantum cryptography library (QRL, April 2026)
  10. QRL weekly update, November 6, 2026 (audits and remediation at 65%)
  11. Mochimo: proof-of-stake transition and FAQ
  12. Mochimo address sizes, types.h (GitHub)
  13. Mochimo Cryptocurrency Engine License Agreement (GitHub)
  14. Mochimo v3.1.0-beta release notes, audit findings F-01 to F-32 (GitHub)
  15. Abelian node source code, no licence file (GitHub)
  16. Abelian lattice cryptography, pqringctx (GitHub)
  17. Quantus audits (Quantus documentation)
  18. Quantus chain source code (GitHub)
  19. Quantus launches mainnet with post-quantum cryptography (Finbold, September 2026)
  20. Quantum-resistant transactions on Algorand with Falcon signatures (Algorand)
  21. Quantum resistance on the Ethereum roadmap (ethereum.org)
  22. NIST IR 8105: Report on Post-Quantum Cryptography (Grover and hash functions)

QRL Hub is independent and not associated with the QRL Foundation. This post is for information only and is not investment advice.