Cardano reviews post-quantum security proposals for wallets

The Cardano community has entered the formal review stage for several technical proposals aimed at enhancing network security and developer tooling. A primary focus is CIP-0197, a proposal for post-quantum zero-knowledge (ZK) signatures for hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets.

This proposal seeks to protect users from future quantum computing threats, such as Shor’s algorithm, which could potentially derive private keys from exposed public keys. CIP-0197 is designed as an intermediate solution that allows users to add a layer of quantum-resistant protection via ZK proofs without requiring them to migrate to new addresses or replace their existing wallet structures.

Additionally, the community is reviewing CPS-0034, which focuses on extending Plutus Core conformance testing. This proposal aims to ensure consistent smart contract behavior and quality assurance across various Cardano node implementations. While these proposals have moved into the candidate and review phases, they have not yet been finalized for mainnet implementation and require further technical validation and governance approval.