Naoris Protocol on Thursday debuted its quantum-resistant blockchain, which it says is designed to remain secure even against future powerful quantum computers that could break modern cryptography.
“Mainnet represents the transition from proof-of-concept to production infrastructure. The network has already validated more than 100 million transactions using post-quantum cryptography. That’s not a roadmap promise; it’s measured operational capacity,” said Nathaniel Szerezla, Chief Growth Officer of Naoris Protocol.
The debut comes as legacy chains Bitcoin and Ethereum face the threat of a “quant apocalypse.” Known as Q-Day, this is the point at which future quantum computers could crack the encryption that secures most blockchains.
Concerns escalated this week after Google reported that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break Bitcoin’s blockchain with fewer than 500,000 qubits – far lower than previous estimates. At the same time, another report flagged potential vulnerabilities in Ethereum that could put $100 billion worth of the blockchain at risk.
Because blockchain transactions like those on Bitcoin and Ethereum are permanent, any weakness today could be exploited by future quantum computers with the necessary power.
Naoris is built differently
This is where Naoris stands out. It was built from the ground up using post-quantum cryptography and algorithms approved by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology to protect accounts, transactions and digital assets, according to the press release shared with CoinDesk.
The system includes an ‘irreversible safety transition’. This means that once a user adopts post-quantum keys, they will need to use quantum-resistant signatures for transactions. The protocol automatically blocks transaction attempts using traditional, vulnerable cryptographic methods, protecting assets even when classic cryptography becomes vulnerable.
More importantly, while the quantum-resistant security is currently only available on its own mainnet, the system is built with a broad application scope in mind for potential support for wallets, exchanges, Layer 2 networks, and DeFi platforms in the future.
The mainnet launched with an invite-only group of strategic participants. They operate the first validator nodes and form the first layer of trust in the network, laying a strong foundation for broader expansion. The protocol was extensively tested in an extensive testnet phase, during which it detected and mitigated more than 603 million threats, processed more than 106 million post-quantum transactions, created more than 3.3 million wallets, and activated more than a million security nodes worldwide.
The protocol’s native token NAORIS controls how the network works, helping secure transactions, enforce rules, and build trust between users. At the time of writing, the token’s market capitalization was $36 million.