Naoris Protocol on Thursday launched 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 over 100 million transactions using post-quantum cryptography. This is not a roadmap promise; it is a measured operational capability,” said Nathaniel Szerezla, Chief Growth Officer of Naoris Protocol.
The debut comes as legacy chains Bitcoin and Ethereum face the threat of a “quantum apocalypse.” Known as Q-Day, this is the time when future quantum computers could crack the encryption securing most blockchains.
Concerns intensified this week after Google reported that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break Bitcoin’s blockchain with fewer than 500,000 qubits, far fewer than previous estimates. At the same time, another report flagged potential vulnerabilities in Ethereum that could put $100 billion on the blockchain at risk.
Since blockchain transactions such as those on Bitcoin and Ethereum are permanent, any current weaknesses could be exploited by future quantum computers with the necessary power.
Naoris is built differently
This is where Naoris stands out. It is 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 incorporates an “irreversible security transition”. This means that once a user adopts post-quantum keys, they must use quantum-resistant signatures for transactions. The protocol automatically blocks transaction attempts using traditional and vulnerable cryptographic methods, helping to protect assets even if traditional cryptography becomes vulnerable.
More importantly, although its quantum-resistant security is currently only available on its own mainnet, the system is designed with broad scope in mind for potential support for wallets, exchanges, layer 2 networks, and DeFi platforms in the future.
The mainnet launched with a group of strategic, invitation-only participants who operate the first validator nodes and form the initial trust layer of the network, laying a solid foundation before wider expansion. The protocol was tested at scale in an extensive testnet phase, during which it detected and mitigated over 603 million threats, processed over 106 million post-quantum transactions, created over 3.3 million wallets, and activated over 1 million security nodes worldwide.
The protocol’s native token, NAORIS, determines how the network operates, helping to secure transactions, enforce rules, and build trust between users. At press time, the token’s market cap was $36 million.
