What IsQuantum Resistant Ledger (QRL)?

Quantum Resistant Ledger is a blockchain platform secured by eXtended Merkle Tree Signature Scheme (XMSS). XMSS is a secure digital signature scheme. An externally audited enterprise-grade blockchain platform, QRL claims to secure today from the quantum computing advances of tomorrow.

According to the whitepaper, there is an imminent threat to blockchains from quantum computing. Today, many blockchains or cryptocurrency ledgers depend on more or less the same technology to generate digital signatures and to verify transactions securely. The most commonly used signature schemes like Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA), Elliptic curve digital signature alogrithm (ECDSA), and RSA cryptography are theoretically susceptible to quantum computing attacks. Thus, the construction and design of a quantum resistant blockchain ledger counter the possible start of nonlinear quantum computing in advance. The platform aims to do so by using hash-based digital signatures resistant to classical and quantum computing attacks.

Some noteworthy features of the QRL blockchain are the following:

Visionary Security:QRL aims to use the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) specified XMSS, a hash-based, forward secure signature scheme with minimal security assumptions and reusable addresses.

Secure Digital Assets:The QRL digital asset is protected against current and upcoming cryptographic threats. Platform's suite of protocols aims to provide various options for the safe custody of QRL digital assets and interaction with the public and private post-quantum secure blockchains built on the core protocol.

Enabling post-quantum secure communications:Merging on-chain lattice key storage with the platform's transient messaging layer to internode communication seeks to offer a post-quantum secure message layer for safe digital communications.

Broad integration and diverse ecosystem:  Strong integration with the hardware digital asset storage solutions and open-source, open development architecture, audited cryptography, and a rich application programming interface (API) experience for developers aim to make the platform a robust enterprise-grade solution.

Developer Friendly: Extensive documentation, tools, and a rich API allow the tools to seek to build anything on an industrial-grade platform today that survives tomorrow.

User-Oriented: The platform aims to offer a full suite of end user products designed with the end user in mind.

The Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) aims to use a native token, the Quantum (plural quanta), as the base currency unit. Each quantum is further divisible to a small element. The token can be used as a medium of exchange on the platform. Each transaction can be levied a fee which can be given to miners as rewards.

History of Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL)

The whitepaper Quantum Resistant Ledger was released in October 2016. QRL follows a fixed upper limit to the coin supply of 105 X 106 quanta. The team of Quantum Resistant Ledger includes founders and developers Peter Waterland and Kaushal Kumar Singh. Both JP Lomas and Jack Matier serve as core developers. Other skilled members are also an important part of the team.