Blockchain Quantum Readiness Index / XRP Ledger
L1 · XRPL
XRP Ledger
Accounts and validators verify with elliptic-curve signatures, and no post-quantum code is on mainnet. The native cross-chain bridge amendment is implemented but not enabled, so the operating bridge relies on another network's (Axelar's) elliptic-curve validator signatures. Ripple has published a four-phase plan to be post-quantum ready by 2028.
Last reviewed 2026-10-19
Is XRP Ledger quantum safe?
Not yet. XRP Ledger is at Stage 1 (Committed) in LimeChain's Blockchain Quantum Readiness Index, with a progress score of 16/100. There is an official plan for post-quantum accounts, but no code in the core software yet. Still exposed or unproven: bridges & messaging.
What XRP Ledger needs for Stage 2: Code merged
- Stage 2 needs PQ user accounts merged into the core code (U is: planned)
Caps and adjustments
- cap 40: users cannot hold and spend funds under a production PQ mechanism on mainnet
- cap 60: consensus PQ not even on testnet
Rosette slices
| Slice | State | Points | Weight | Reason & evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U User keys | Planned At rest: Hidden until first spend The Account ID (address) is RIPEMD160(SHA-256(public key)), so a funded account whose key never signed keeps its secp256k1/Ed25519 public key off-ledger; the first signed transaction publishes it. Key rotation lets an account return to a hidden key: with the master key disabled, SetRegularKey stores only the new regular key's Account ID (a hash), so a fresh regular key stays hidden until it signs. |
2/10 | 25 | Ripple's 4-phase roadmap targets PQ-readiness by 2028; mainnet accounts remain ECC. XRPL Labs runs ML-DSA accounts and consensus on its AlphaNet developer network, but that code is unmerged (rippled PR #6162 closed) and the XLS is a draft, so it does not lift the rating. |
| C Consensus | Planned | 2/10 | 20 | The plan covers ledger-wide PQ-readiness and Project Eleven validator testing; validator keys today are Ed25519/ECDSA and no PQ consensus code is on mainnet. Sources 1 |
| P Proof system | Not applicable | — | — | L1 with no validity or fraud proof system. no evidence |
| B Bridges & messaging | Exposed | 0/10 | 15 | The native XChainBridge (XLS-38) amendment is not enabled on mainnet (measured via feature query, enabled: false), so the operating bridge, the Ripple-backed XRPL EVM Sidechain bridge, verifies with Axelar validator-set signatures (ECC). Flagged for review: if the sidechain bridge is judged third-party rather than canonical, B should be n/a. |
| A Admin & upgrade keys | Not applicable | — | — | Protocol changes happen only via amendments: an amendment passes with more than 80% validator support over two weeks; there is no privileged admin/upgrade key. Sources 9 |
| M Migration & recovery | Planned | 2/10 | 15 | The 4-phase plan includes migration and custody prototyping with Project Eleven; nothing is ratified. Sources 1 |
Stage gates
| Requirement | Status | Details & evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Current audit of the deployed PQ signing code (Stage 5) | Not met | not claimed |
| Admin timelock of at least 30 days with a PQ override (Stage 6, alternative to PQ admin keys) | Not met | not claimed |
| Ratified migration plan with an activation date (Stage 6) | Not met | not claimed |
| New accounts PQ or hybrid by default (Stage 6) | Not met | not claimed |
| ECC sunset enforced (Stage 7) | Not met | not claimed |
PQ adoption published, not scored
There are no PQ accounts on mainnet yet. Having PQ accounts does not mean people move to them. This tracks the share of value and accounts that actually moved, over time.
Measured exposure
No on-chain probe run yet. Bitcoin, Solana, Cosmos and Substrate probes are planned.
Evidence and sources (9)
Every non-zero rating above cites at least one of these public sources.
- ripple.com/insights/post-quantum-readiness-on-the-xrp-ledger/
- github.com/XRPLF/XRPL-Standards/discussions/295
- xrpl.org/docs/concepts/accounts/addresses
- xrpl.org/docs/concepts/accounts/cryptographic-keys
- xrpl.org/docs/references/protocol/transactions/types/setregul…
- xrplcluster.com/
- docs.xrplevm.org/pages/bridge.md
- docs.xrplevm.org/pages/bridge/general-message-passing.md
- xrpl.org/amendments.html
Source: chains/xrpl.json. Reproduce: python3 score.py chains/xrpl.json
Building on XRP Ledger?
LimeChain helps teams plan their post-quantum migration: what is exposed, what to change first, and the engineering to get there.
Talk to usOpen, repeatable scoring. Non-zero ratings need public evidence; missing evidence means unknown. Methodology v0.4 · mechanism registry 2026-10-13.