QRL 2.0
The Future of Quantum-Resistant Smart Contracts
What is QRL 2.0?
QRL 2.0 (also known as QRL Zond) is QRL's next-generation quantum-resistant blockchain - an EVM-compatible Layer-1 engineered for the post-quantum era. It represents the evolution of QRL from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake, bringing smart contract capabilities to the world's first quantum-resistant blockchain.
As of March 31, 2026, QRL 2.0 Testnet V2 is live: a public proof-of-stake network where developers can deploy smart contracts today and users can stake immediately. Mainnet follows once external audits are complete.
QRL 2.0 is being independently audited before mainnet. Halborn's review of the post-quantum cryptography libraries (April 3, 2026) found no cryptographic vulnerabilities, with all 13 findings rated Informational, the lowest severity. The broader protocol and code audit is being conducted by Trail of Bits, a leading blockchain security firm whose audit work spans major networks and protocols across the industry. Mainnet launch is gated on the successful completion of these audits.
Core Features
- Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible: Port Ethereum contracts with minimal changes
- Proof-of-Stake consensus: Energy-efficient consensus replacing the current PoW model
- Smart contracts via Hyperion: A post-quantum superset of Solidity, where most valid Solidity is also valid Hyperion
- NIST-approved cryptography: ML-DSA-87 (Dilithium) for signatures, targeting full NIST Security Level 5
- Crypto-agility: New NIST-approved post-quantum algorithms can be added through an address-descriptor model, without a contentious hard fork
- Built for developers: Familiar Web3 tooling, seamless migration path
Why QRL 2.0 Matters
The Quantum Threat is Accelerating
The threat of quantum computers breaking encryption has shifted from "decades away" to a near-term concern. Industry experts now project cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) could emerge as early as 2027-2033. The most significant recent developments:
- A Google Quantum AI whitepaper (March 30, 2026), co-authored with the Ethereum Foundation and Stanford, cut the estimated cost of a Bitcoin attack to roughly 1,200-1,450 logical qubits and fewer than 500,000 physical qubits - about a 20x reduction - and warned that cryptographic migration needs to begin without delay. The same paper identified QRL as a presently post-quantum-secure blockchain.
- A Caltech/Oratomic paper (March 31, 2026) showed the same class of attack could run on as few as ~10,000-26,000 neutral-atom qubits using high-rate qLDPC codes.
- A EUROCRYPT 2026 paper pushed the minimum logical-qubit requirement for 256-bit elliptic curves down to 1,098.
- QuEra demonstrated a verified record of 96 logical qubits (Nature), the largest verified logical-qubit count to date.
- NIST, the NSA, and the U.S. Federal Reserve have all issued formal warnings; the EU's DORA regulation (effective January 2025) and U.S. federal mandates require migration readiness by 2035.
For the full picture, see the Quantum News and Qubit Tracker pages.
Legacy blockchains face a monumental migration task - complex technical hurdles, performance trade-offs, and the challenge of user consensus. Bitcoin's own draft proposals (BIP-360, BIP-361) protect only newly created coins or rely on freezing legacy ones, and have no activation timeline. QRL 2.0 is built quantum-ready from genesis instead.
A Safe Haven for the Ethereum Ecosystem
The EVM ecosystem represents over $300 billion in value, with hundreds of billions more across EVM-compatible chains like Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, BNB Chain, and Avalanche - all currently secured by quantum-vulnerable ECDSA signatures. QRL 2.0's pitch to that ecosystem is straightforward:
- ERC-20 tokens can be replicated on quantum-resistant infrastructure (as QRC-20)
- DeFi protocols can deploy before quantum threats materialize
- NFTs and digital assets secured against future attacks
- A familiar migration target for EVM developers and institutions seeking long-term security
QRL 2.0's differentiator is that it is fully post-quantum from genesis: post-quantum cryptography secures the chain end to end, not as an optional or partial add-on layered onto an otherwise ECDSA-based network. That, paired with an EVM-familiar toolchain and the longest track record of any post-quantum-native chain, is the core of the pitch to the EVM ecosystem.
Technical Architecture
Two-Layer Design
QRL 2.0's architecture mirrors Ethereum's post-Merge design:
Execution Layer (go-zond/gzond)
- Monitors newly broadcasted transactions
- Processes them through the Quantum Resistant Virtual Machine (QRVM), an EVM-friendly VM forked from the EVM
- Maintains the current state and database
Consensus Layer (qrysm)
- Executes the Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithm
- Coordinates validators across the network
- Ensures reliability and integrity of network operations
Post-Quantum Cryptography
QRL 2.0 is built on NIST-approved post-quantum standards, using a crypto-agile, defense-in-depth model rather than a single algorithm:
ML-DSA-87 (Dilithium) - Primary signatures
- Lattice-based signatures (NIST FIPS 204)
- Unlimited signatures per address
- Smaller signatures and fast verification
- Required for staking validators
- Full NIST compliance at launch
SLH-DSA / SPHINCS+ - Hash-based option
- Hash-based signatures (NIST FIPS 205)
- Conservative security assumptions, based only on hash functions
- Recognized at the wallet-descriptor level (canonical ML-DSA-87 and SPHINCS+-256s descriptors), with integration continuing toward and after mainnet
- Provides cryptographic diversity if a lattice assumption is ever weakened
Falcon-1024 and ML-KEM - Network (P2P) layer
- Falcon-1024 (FN-DSA) signatures and ML-KEM (FIPS 203) key encapsulation are being implemented to secure the peer-to-peer networking layer
- This hardens node-to-node communication against quantum attack, in addition to the transaction-signing layer
XMSS (Stateful) - Legacy / QRL 1.x
- Hash-based signatures (XMSS) securing the original 2018 mainnet
- Uses one-time keys (requires OTS index tracking), limited signatures per wallet
Cryptographic Agility
- New NIST-approved algorithms can be adopted as standards evolve
- The address descriptor identifies which scheme an account uses
- If one algorithm is compromised, others remain secure
- No emergency hard fork needed when new algorithms emerge
This multi-algorithm approach provides defense in depth - not relying on a single cryptographic assumption.
Crypto-agility is not only a design claim; it has been demonstrated in practice. During the testnet phase, QRL 2.0's address format was expanded from its original 24-byte representation to 48 bytes, and then to 64 bytes to reach full NIST Security Level 5 - each change rolling out across the entire repository set (go-qrllib, qrysm, go-zond, Hyperion, qrvmone, and the wallet libraries) within roughly two weeks, rather than requiring a contentious chain split. Because each account's descriptor records which signature scheme it uses, QRL 2.0 can adopt future NIST-approved post-quantum algorithms (such as SLH-DSA/SPHINCS+ and others, already recognized at the descriptor level) as they are standardized - without an emergency hard fork.
Address Format
QRL 2.0 uses a distinctive "Q" prefix address format. During Testnet V2 the format is being upgraded from a 48-byte to a 64-byte address to provide complete NIST Security Level 5 (a network reset accompanies this change on the testnet):
- Larger internal representation than Ethereum's 20 bytes, to eliminate ambiguity and reach the highest NIST security level
- Includes a cryptographic descriptor that differentiates between signature schemes
- EIP-55-style checksums implemented in the wallet libraries for safer address handling
- Network uses QRL/Planck/Shor denominations (replacing ETH nomenclature)
EVM Compatibility
Key breakthrough: developers can port Ethereum smart contracts to QRL 2.0 with minimal modifications. Hyperion is a post-quantum superset of Solidity in which most valid Solidity is also valid Hyperion, with NIST-approved post-quantum primitives layered on top. The QRVM executes these contracts. Hyperion is open source.
What this means for developers:
- Write Solidity-style code as you would on Ethereum
- Use familiar tools: web3.js, Hardhat, Remix-style IDEs (Vortex)
- Deploy with minimal changes - often just the pragma line
- QRL-adapted tooling is required to compile and deploy Hyperion contracts, but the changes to existing Ethereum tooling are minimal
Network Parameters
QRL prioritizes security over raw speed, with some differences from Ethereum. These parameters reflect the computational overhead of post-quantum cryptography and may continue to be adjusted before mainnet.
| Parameter | Zond | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Block time | 60 seconds | 12 seconds |
| Epoch size | 128 slots (~128 minutes) | 32 slots (~6.4 minutes) |
| Layer 1 throughput | ~15 TPS (Testnet V2 stress test) | ~15-30 TPS |
| Block size | Larger (higher bandwidth/disk requirements) | Standard |
Testnet V2 has been stress-tested at approximately 952 transactions per block (21,000 gas per transaction), which at a 60-second block time is roughly 15 transactions per second on Layer 1. For comparison, Ethereum's base layer has historically processed about 15-30 TPS. As on Ethereum, higher throughput is expected to come primarily from Layer 2s rather than the base chain.
Development Timeline
In Progress (as of late May 2026)
- • Implementation completed across go-qrllib, qrysm, go-qrl, Hyperion, qrvmone and related repos; currently under review and testing, with a testnet reset to follow
- • Implementation in progress for the peer-to-peer networking layer
- • Key-encapsulation implementation underway for the networking layer
- • Broader protocol and contract audits ongoing across multiple firms; mainnet is contingent on their successful completion
- • Zond Web3 Wallet (Chrome extension, Argon2id encryption, multi-account, QRC-20 support), Vortex IDE, block explorers (execution + consensus), and a Testnet V2 faucet
- • CI/CD pipelines reviewed and strengthened following industry supply-chain incidents (no substantive issues found)
Completed
- • Independent audit of QRL's two post-quantum signature libraries found no cryptographic vulnerabilities; all 13 findings rated Informational and since resolved; core signing, verification, and key-generation logic validated as correct (announcement · full report)
- • Public PoS network live with Hyperion and the QRVM; smart-contract deployment and staking available; decentralized (smart-contract-based) migration path for QRL 1.x holders (press release)
- • Code freeze completed across all relevant repositories in preparation for audit; 100% code coverage achieved across essential cryptographic libraries
- • ML-DSA-87 integration completed across the stack (go-qrllib, go-zond, qrysm, deposit contracts)
- • BUIDL Testnet Preview unveiled; strong developer interest
- • Most stable testnet to date; full EVM compatibility demonstrated; new "Q" prefix address format rolled out
- • Expanded testing with community developers; Web3 API compatibility confirmed
- • Zond Virtual Machine testing; Hyperion Solidity fork introduced
- • World's first full-featured quantum-resistant blockchain; XMSS signatures from genesis block; later audited by X41 D-Sec and Red4Sec
For Current QRL Holders
Your current QRL is quantum-safe and will remain so. Migration from current QRL mainnet to QRL 2.0 is being designed as a decentralized, smart-contract-based process - not an emergency migration:
Snapshot
At a predetermined block height, a final snapshot of the PoW chain captures all balances
Migration Contract
A smart contract on QRL 2.0 mainnet holds the snapshot balance data
User-Initiated Claim
Using a simple UI, provide your new QRL 2.0 address and sign with your existing XMSS address
Automated Transfer
The contract verifies your signature and transfers your full balance
Because the original QRL chain is already quantum-safe, holders can migrate at their own pace. Details will be finalized as mainnet approaches.
Use Cases
DeFi Protocols
Lending platforms, DEXs, yield farming, and stablecoins secured against quantum threats from day one.
NFT Platforms
Mint and trade digital assets with long-term security for provenance and ownership.
Decentralized Identity
Self-sovereign identity protected against quantum decryption of personal data.
Trustless Governance
Tamper-proof voting systems and DAO infrastructure with quantum-resistant integrity.
Enterprise Applications
Supply chain tracking, document authentication, and business logic secured for the quantum era.
For Developers
Getting Started Today
Testnet Access
- • Public Testnet V2 live at test-zond.theqrl.org
- • Staking available on the testnet now
- • Test tokens available via the Testnet V2 faucet (initial release) and community members
- • Documentation available, with beginner-friendly guides being added during the audit/stress-test period
Development Tools
- • Zond Web3 Wallet: Chrome extension (similar to MetaMask)
- • Vortex IDE: Fork of Remix for QRL 2.0 development
- • Hyperion compiler: Solidity-compatible with post-quantum extensions (open source)
- • Web3.js libraries work with minimal changes
Migration from Ethereum
For most contracts, the only required change is the pragma line:
- • Port Ethereum contracts with minimal code changes
- • Migration guides and tutorials available
- • Community support channels
Why Build on QRL 2.0 Now?
First-Mover Advantage
- Be early to the quantum-resistant ecosystem
- Establish presence before mass migration from vulnerable chains
- Direct support from the development team during the testnet phase
Quantum-Secure from Genesis
- Your dApps and users' assets are protected from day one
- No scrambling to migrate when quantum threats materialize
- Unlike chains racing against deadlines, QRL controls its own timeline
Development Resources
Community Projects
The QRL 2.0 ecosystem is growing with community-built tools:
QRL 2.0 Token Generator
by Volt Development
Create quantum-resistant tokens via web interface
Zond Web Wallet
by @moscowchill
User-friendly web interface for sending/receiving assets and token creation
Zond Scan
by @moscowchill
Block explorer for tracking transactions, blocks, validators, and smart contract analysis
Note: Community projects are under active development and may experience instability.
The QRL 2.0 Ecosystem
Infrastructure
Wallets
- • Desktop, mobile, and web wallets
- • Hardware wallet support planned
- • Multi-signature capabilities
Block Explorer
- • Full transaction history
- • Contract verification
- • Network statistics
Developer Tools
- • Comprehensive APIs
- • Testing frameworks
- • Documentation
- • Code examples
Community
Discord & Telegram
- • Active developer channels
- • Technical support
- • Community discussions
GitHub
- • Open-source code
- • Issue tracking
- • Contribution guidelines
Developer Grants
- • Funding for ecosystem projects
- • Technical support
- • Marketing assistance
Current Development Status (May 2026)
Post-Testnet V2: On the Road to Mainnet
QRL 2.0 Testnet V2 has been live since March 31, 2026, and the project is now in the audit-and-hardening phase that precedes mainnet. The independent Halborn audit of the cryptographic libraries (April 3, 2026) returned no vulnerabilities, and broader protocol and contract audits are ongoing.
What's happening now:
- Testnet V2 live: Smart-contract deployment and staking available on a public PoS network
- Clean cryptography audit: Halborn found no cryptographic vulnerabilities; all 13 findings Informational and resolved
- NIST Security Level 5: Address format upgraded to 64 bytes across the stack, under review and testing
- Network-layer PQC: Falcon-1024 and ML-KEM being added to secure the P2P layer
- Audits ongoing: Internal and external review continues; mainnet is gated on audit completion
- Tooling & docs: Wallets, explorers, faucet, and beginner documentation being expanded
The bottom line: with Testnet V2 shipped and the cryptography independently validated, the work now is methodical audit, hardening, and tooling - not a race against a quantum deadline.
Stay Updated
Follow the latest progress through QRL Weekly Updates - short, accessible reports published every week showing what the team has accomplished.
Roadmap
Strategic Approach
Given the accelerating quantum timeline and systemic risk facing the EVM ecosystem, QRL has prioritized speed, reliability, and full NIST compliance:
- 1Streamlined algorithm implementation: ML-DSA-87 (Dilithium) for full NIST compliance at launch, with the crypto-agile address model allowing additional signature schemes (SLH-DSA/SPHINCS+) to be integrated over time without an emergency hard fork
- 2Audit-gated mainnet: Rather than committing to a fixed launch date, mainnet timing follows the completion of external audits
Completed - Testnet V2 & Cryptography Audit (Q1-Q2 2026)
- Testnet V2 released (March 31, 2026)
- Halborn cryptographic-library audit complete (April 3, 2026)
- Code freeze across all relevant repositories
In Progress - Hardening & Full Audit
- 64-byte address / NIST Level 5 rollout and testnet reset
- Falcon-1024 and ML-KEM for the P2P layer
- Broader protocol and contract audits across multiple firms
- Tooling, documentation, and stress testing
Next - Mainnet Launch (TBD, contingent on audit completion)
- QRL 2.0 mainnet release once audits are successfully completed
- Decentralized migration for current QRL holders
- Developer onboarding programs and Vortex IDE support
Post-Mainnet - Continued Enhancement
- Further SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+) integration
- Additional post-quantum algorithm support
- Layer 2 integrations and cross-chain bridges
Growth & Ecosystem Expansion
- Project migrations from Ethereum and other EVM chains
- Institutional partnerships and enterprise adoption
- Quantum-resistant DeFi, NFT, and dApp infrastructure
Join the Quantum-Resistant Future
The quantum threat to blockchain is real and accelerating. With QRL 2.0, we're not just anticipating the challenge - we're building and shipping the solution.
The future is quantum-resistant. The future is QRL 2.0.