Domain Specific Post Quantum Signatures for Blockchains
Researchers argue blockchains need domain-specific post-quantum signatures beyond NIST single-signer schemes.
An arXiv cs.CR paper argues blockchains need domain-specific post-quantum signature profiles rather than generic single-signer schemes. It formalizes transaction authorization and quorum-certificate requirements and instantiates them for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a Sei Giga-style high-throughput BFT profile. The evaluation covers ML-DSA, SLH-DSA, Falcon/FN-DSA, HAWK, MAYO, SNOVA, UOV/QR-UOV, FAEST, SQIsign, and several aggregation-oriented schemes. The authors conclude current NIST signatures are necessary components but none is a drop-in replacement for modern public blockchain signature layers.
- Blockchains need consensus-profiled post-quantum authentication, not generic signatures.
- Requirements include aggregation, downgrade resistance, and light-client consequences.
- Designs are instantiated for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a Sei-style BFT profile.
- NIST single-signer schemes are necessary but not drop-in replacements.
Full article158 words · extracted from arxiv.org · click to collapse
Blockchains need more than post quantum single signer signatures. They need consensus profiled authentication objects with canonical bytes, priced invalid input rejection, stable transaction identifiers, hybrid downgrade resistance, public aggregation, merge semantics, accountable signer evidence, forward secure committee rotation, and light client consequences. We argue for domain specific post quantum signatures for blockchain roles, analogously to how hash function engineering produced domain specific primitives for hash table DoS and arithmetized proof systems. We formalize transaction authorization and quorum certificate requirements, instantiate them on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a Sei Giga style high throughput BFT stress profile, and evaluate ML-DSA, SLH-DSA, Falcon/FN-DSA, HAWK, MAYO, SNOVA, UOV/QR-UOV, FAEST, SQIsign, LaBRADOR Falcon, Squirrel, Chipmunk, and DKKW/LeanSig. The conclusion is blunt. NIST single signer signatures are necessary components, although none of the current schemes is a drop in replacement for the signature layer of modern public blockchains. The missing object is a consensus ready post quantum signature profile, not another generic size table.
Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.24689