On May 14, BNB Chain released a report evaluating the feasibility of migrating the network to post-quantum cryptography, finding that while the transition is technically possible, tests conducted showed a 40% to 50% performance drop. The research team also revealed that quantum threats are 10 to 20 years away.
The BNB chain tested two encryption schemes that are potentially vulnerable to quantum computers. The first is ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm), which secures the signature of each transaction. The second is BLS12-381, which aggregates validator signatures at a consensus layer. both are possible Compromised by Scholl’s algorithm.
To replace them, BNB Chain tested ML-DSA-44 for transaction signatures and systems. pq starkaggregate validator signatures based on zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs.
According to the document, ML-DSA-44 was chosen because it is NIST’s only standardized signature scheme and is currently the most commonly deployed in production environments. When compared to the SLH-DSA scheme and another alternative scheme approved by NIST. ML-DSA-44 generates smaller signatures and verifies fasterthe BNB Chain team warns that it is therefore more suitable for environments with high transaction volumes.
Despite the advantages of ML-DSA-44 compared to other NIST variants, each transaction passed after running the test on the BNB chain. From 110 bytes to approximately 2,500 bytes (over 2,000% larger), blocks have increased from approximately 110 kilobytes to approximately 2 megabytes (over 1,700% larger).
This size increase becomes a bottleneck, reducing performance by 40% to 50%. As operations become heavier, fewer operations can be contained in a block space, and as the demand for the use of that block space increases, fewer transactions are possible, which increases fees.
ML-DSA-44 is also the smallest version of the three standards available. Higher security variants increase the signature size by an additional 36% to 90%.According to the same document, performance will further deteriorate without a proportional return over the expected period.
The consensus layer strongly resists change.
Validator signature aggregation had better margins on the BNB chain. Currently, six validators have generated a total of 14.5 kilobytes of signatures.
With a proven system pq starkthese signatures are compressed into a single 340-byte probe. (reduced to 1/43rd of original size) written in the block header. According to the report, this compression allows the consensus layer to absorb changes without significantly increasing the load on validators.
Tension already evident in Solana
The discovery of the BNB chain replicates tensions recorded in other networks. In April, Alex Pruden, CEO of Project Eleven, a company developing anti-quantum solutions for crypto asset networks, reported that the company was testing post-quantum signatures on the Solana test network. Approximately 90% performance degradation was observed.
The new sign is 20 to 40 times heavier than the current oneas stated by Pruden, who worked on these tests in collaboration with the Solana Foundation, as reported by CriptoNoticias.
Thus, both cases demonstrate the same underlying problem. In other words, the transition to post-quantum cryptography is not only a technical challenge, but also a design decision that directly impacts a network’s ability to process transactions.
(Tag Translation) Blockchain
