QRL Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1

1. Where do I get QRL?

Answer

QRL operates on its own blockchain and is NOT an ERC20 token. Only buy from exchanges listed on the official markets page to ensure you're getting genuine QRL. As of Q4 2025, QRL is not available on Tier 1 exchanges and is mostly traded in the QRL/USDT pair. You can send USDT from your preferred exchange to any exchange listed on the official markets page to buy QRL.

Easy steps:

1Create a wallet: Visit wallet.theqrl.org, or download "QRL Mobile" by Volt Development (available for Android and iOS)
2Keep your wallet safe: Backup your wallet file, mnemonic phrase, and hexseed. Only share your QRL wallet address (never share your wallet file, passphrase, mnemonic, or hexseed)
3Buy QRL from an exchange: Purchase QRL from an exchange available in your location at theqrl.org/markets.
4Withdraw to your wallet: After purchasing, it is recommended to withdraw your QRL from the exchange to your own wallet address for maximum security
5You're done! Your funds are now quantum-safe and under your control - no urgent migration needed, no complex setup required

For added security, Ledger hardware wallet support is available (Nano X/S+)

Question 2

2. How can I explore the QRL blockchain and view transactions?

Answer

You can explore the QRL blockchain using the official QRL Block Explorer at https://explorer.theqrl.org/. The explorer provides comprehensive blockchain data including:

Real-time Block Information: QRL mines one block per minute consistently, and you can browse through all blocks to see individual transactions
Rich List: View the top wallet holders at https://explorer.theqrl.org/richlist. The first wallet (Q..f240) belongs to the QRL Foundation, and the second (Q..c016) to MEXC exchange, currently the highest volume exchange for QRL
Transaction History: Browse through blocks to examine all transactions on the network
Wallet Balance Lookup: You can view any wallet's balance by using this format: https://explorer.theqrl.org/a/Q010500b8601fb018af63f22b31854f649f32249ffd7c2e887d80694b458bd18ee6ca9f9806c016, where the last part is the wallet address
Network Statistics: Monitor the health and activity of the QRL network in real-time

The block explorer is an essential tool for transparency, allowing anyone to verify transactions and understand the distribution of QRL tokens across the network.

Question 3

3. Isn't quantum computing still decades away?

Answer

Not anymore. 2024-2025 breakthroughs are accelerating the timeline faster than expected:

Google Willow (Dec 2024): First scalable error correction - systems now get MORE reliable as they grow
Princeton (Nov 2025): 15x coherence improvement makes systems 1,000x more powerful
Quantinuum (Nov 2025): 500x better error correction ratio - needs far fewer qubits than predicted
Timeline estimates range from aggressive (Quantum Doom Clock: 2028) to conservative (institutional: 2035)
Expert consensus: 20-33% probability crypto breaks by 2030

The exact date is debatable. What's certain: "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks are happening TODAY. QRL has been quantum-resistant since 2018 - already protected, regardless of timeline.

Question 4

4. Why would quantum computers target Bitcoin when banks have way more money?

Answer

Because it's not about how much money; it's about how easy it is to steal:

Bitcoin advertises its targets publicly: Every vulnerable address and transaction is visible on the blockchain forever. Banks keep accounts and security details private
$188-520 billion sitting defenseless RIGHT NOW: 25-33% of Bitcoin (including Satoshi's 1.1M BTC) has exposed public keys that can never be protected. Attackers are already downloading this data today
Bitcoin theft is permanent and untraceable: Once stolen Bitcoin moves, it's gone forever. Nobody can freeze it, reverse it, or recover it. Banks have fraud detection, account freezes, transaction reversals, FDIC insurance, and law enforcement
Banks are upgrading, Bitcoin can't agree on a plan: Cloudflare protects 50%+ of web traffic with quantum-safe cryptography NOW. JPMorgan deployed it in 2024. Banks upgrade in months. Bitcoin needs years to coordinate 10,900+ nodes, and every major upgrade causes civil war
The attack window is closing for banks, wide open for Bitcoin: Banks will finish upgrading before quantum computers arrive. Bitcoin hasn't even agreed on which solution to use

Bottom line: Attackers go for easy money, not big money. Bitcoin is a $500B buffet with no locks, no alarms, and no police. Banks are fortified vaults.

Question 5

5. Can't existing blockchains just upgrade?

Answer

In theory, yes. In practice, extremely difficult:

Requires global coordination of millions of users
Governance challenges (see Bitcoin's SegWit debate)
Technical complexity (40-70x larger signatures)
Years or decades to complete
No retroactive protection for past transactions
Racing against NIST's 2026-2035 deadline
Emergency timeline driven by quantum threat, not readiness

QRL's advantage: Already quantum-secure since 2018. Future upgrades like Zond happen on QRL's timeline, not under emergency pressure from quantum threats.

Question 6

6. Why should I consider QRL as an investment opportunity?

Answer

QRL is the most established quantum-resistant blockchain in production, operating continuously since 2018 with two independent security audits. What sets QRL apart:

Proven track record: Years of reliable operation make QRL the most battle-tested quantum-resistant network
QRL Zond Upgrade: Will enable smart contracts, DeFi, and NFTs—all with quantum resistance built in
Ecosystem advantage: Any token created on QRL automatically inherits quantum resistance
Market timing: As crypto adoption grows and quantum computing advances, quantum resistance becomes essential infrastructure rather than optional

Investment perspective: Early Bitcoin holders in 2012 saw the potential before mass adoption. QRL offers a similar opportunity in quantum-resistant technology. It requires patience as Zond launches and the ecosystem matures, but QRL is positioned to lead the next generation of secure blockchain infrastructure.

Question 7

7. Why does QRL support multiple signature algorithms?

Answer

QRL uses multiple NIST-approved post-quantum signature algorithms to provide cryptographic diversity and defense-in-depth against quantum threats:

Current QRL Mainnet uses XMSS (hash-based) - a NIST-approved quantum-resistant signature scheme proven secure since 1979. XMSS is stateful, requiring careful tracking of one-time signatures
QRL Zond Upgrade upgrades to stateless algorithms: SPHINCS+/SLH-DSA (hash-based) - NIST-standardized, conservative security based on hash functions, stateless with unlimited signatures
CRYSTALS-Dilithium/ML-DSA (lattice-based) - NIST-standardized, smaller signatures and faster performance, stateless with unlimited signatures
The key differences are their cryptographic foundations: hash-based (XMSS, SPHINCS+) versus lattice-based (Dilithium). This diversity means if one cryptographic assumption is ever compromised, the other provides backup protection

QRL's architecture supports adding future NIST-approved algorithms, giving users choice based on their specific needs for security margins, performance, and signature size.

Question 8

8. Isn't XMSS limited by the number of signatures?

Answer

Yes, but it's manageable with proper planning:

When creating a wallet, you choose your tree height, which determines the number of one-time signatures (OTS):

Tree height 10: 1,024 signatures (light usage) - each outgoing transaction requiring a signature
Tree height 14: 16,384 signatures (moderate usage)
Tree height 18: 262,144 signatures (heavy usage)

Plan ahead with slave transactions:

Slave transactions link new wallets to your current wallet
These slave wallets must be set up BEFORE you run out of signatures
Once set up, slave OTS don't count against your master key's limit

What if signatures run out?

The wallet becomes permanently read-only - you can receive QRL but never spend it
Your funds are locked forever with no recovery option

Choose an appropriate tree height for your usage. If needed, set up slave transactions. This effectively gives you unlimited transactions. After QRL Zond Upgrade launches, this limitation disappears entirely with stateless algorithms.

Question 9

9. Why should I trust QRL?

Answer

Track record:

Seven years of mainnet operation (since 2018)
Multiple external security audits
Open-source code available for review
NIST-approved cryptography
Active development and transparent communication
Member of Linux Foundation Post-Quantum Cryptography Alliance

Question 10

10. How does QRL compare to Bitcoin and Ethereum?

Answer

Feature	Bitcoin/Ethereum	QRL
Quantum Resistant	No	Yes
Security Basis	Elliptic curve math	Hash functions
Quantum Risk	Broken by Shor's algorithm	Secure against quantum computers
Migration Needed	Yes (complex, years)	No
Standardization	Mature (but vulnerable)	NIST-approved 2020

Question 11

11. How does the Zond hard fork compare to a potential Bitcoin hard fork for post-quantum cryptography?

Answer

A hard fork means migrating to another blockchain. Let's compare how BTC and QRL differ in their approach:

Migration Timeline:

QRL: You can take your sweet time migrating. Your old wallet is already quantum safe, so there's no need to hurry.
BTC: If you don't migrate, unmigrated wallets become quantum bounties. At least 10-15% of the supply won't be migrated regardless and will become bounties flooding the market.

Destination Clarity:

QRL: The destination (Zond) is agreed upon, actively being built, and thoroughly tested.
BTC: The destination is up in the air. People can't agree, and there's no solid plan approved by all miners, wallet holders, and stakeholders.

Urgency Level:

QRL: No hurry—migrate at your convenience.
BTC: Migrate by 2028/2030 or face total destruction of value.

The key difference is that QRL users have the luxury of time and certainty, while Bitcoin faces a high-stakes race against quantum computing advances with no consensus on the solution.

Question 12

12. Will there be two separate QRL coins after the Zond upgrade, or just one?

Answer

There will only be ONE QRL. After Zond launches, you'll migrate your QRL from the old chain to the new Zond chain - but it's the same coin, just on a better blockchain. The Zond chain is still called QRL; "Zond" is just the name of the upgrade.

How migration works:

One-way transfer - You move your QRL from the old chain to Zond (not a "split" or "fork" creating two coins)
No deadline pressure - Migrate at your own pace since the old QRL chain is already quantum-safe
Same value, better features - Your QRL keeps its value and name, but now you get smart contracts, DeFi, and improved algorithms
Old chain sunset - Eventually, the old chain will stop receiving updates, and exchanges will only list Zond QRL

This is NOT like Bitcoin/Bitcoin Cash where two competing coins exist. Zond is the official upgrade path - everyone moves to the new chain, and there's only one QRL ecosystem.

Migrate when ready (no rush), move your QRL to the Zond chain for continued transactions and new features, and enjoy having one unified QRL on a superior blockchain.

Question 13

13. What makes hash-based signatures special?

Answer

Unlike elliptic curve cryptography, hash-based signatures:

Rely only on secure hash functions (like SHA-256)
Have no mathematical structures vulnerable to quantum algorithms
Have been studied and proven secure since 1979
Require only basic security assumptions
Offer forward security (past signatures remain valid even if keys are compromised)

Question 14

14. Can I use QRL for smart contracts?

Answer

Yes, through QRL Zond Upgrade:

EVM-compatible quantum-resistant blockchain
Supports smart contracts in Hyperion (quantum-resistant Solidity fork)
Easy migration for Ethereum developers
Currently in testnet, mainnet coming soon

Question 15

15. What if a better quantum-resistant algorithm is developed?

Answer

QRL is designed for this:

Crypto-agility built into the architecture
Extensible address format supports future upgrades
Can adopt new NIST-approved algorithms as they emerge
QRL Zond Upgrade (planned upgrade) will offer additional quantum-resistant algorithms
Migration to Zond will be a planned, orderly process when ready - not an emergency response to quantum threats
Unlike other blockchains scrambling to retrofit security, QRL controls its upgrade timeline