Which cryptocurrencies does Google point out are quantum resistant and why?

A Google Quantum AI study published on March 30, which estimated that a quantum computer could compromise Bitcoin cryptography in less than nine minutes, also identified cryptocurrency networks that have already implemented post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and presents them as demonstration that the transition is technically possible.

The document divides these networks into two groups: those that were born with PQC from its origin and those that are integrating it on protocols originally vulnerable to a potential quantum attack.

Cryptocurrency networks that were born shielded

The Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) chain, launched in 2018, is noted by Google as the most consolidated case of post-quantum network from its origin.

According to the paper from Google, its original design was based on a signature scheme called XMSS (Extended Merkle Tree Signature Scheme), an algorithm based on hash functions that would be resistant to quantum hardware.

According to the official QRL documentation, XMSS protects the signatures with which users authorize transactions: every time someone sends funds, the network verifies that signature with XMSS instead ECDSAthe vulnerable scheme used by Bitcoin and Ethereum.

XMSS does however have an operational limitation. each key only a limited number can be used of times safely. For this reason, according to the roadmap of the project and how they also highlight it from Google, QRL is incorporating additional support for ML-DSA (the grating-based signature standard approved by NIST in 2024), which does not have that restriction and expands the flexibility of the system for different types of use.

After Google’s announcement and the mention of the QRL project, the price of this token grew more than 40%as reported by CriptoNoticias.

Mochimo (MCM) is another network that was born post-quantum. According to the paper by Google, uses a variant of the Single-Use Winternitz Signatures (WOTS+for its acronym in English), another scheme based on hash functions to protect transaction signatures and is integrated directly into the consensus layer of the network.

Every time a user sends funds, sign the transaction with your private WOTS+ keyand the nodes verify that signature with the corresponding public key. Once used, the key is discarded and a new one is automatically generated, preventing an attacker from reusing it.

Abelian (ABEL) is the third network that Google identifies as post-quantum since its conception. Unlike QRL and Mochimo, Abelian combines quantum resistance with privacy. This chain uses reticle cryptography (based on standards CRYSTALS-Dilithium and CRYSTALS-Kyber approved by NIST) for protect transaction signatures and account keys.

Additionally, it uses signature schemes in linkable ring (a mechanism that allows you to verify that a transaction is legitimate without revealing the sender) to protect the privacy of users at different levels, from pseudonymity to complete concealment of the amount and addresses involved.

Abelian, Google’s research indicates, also created a second layer network called QDaywhich supports smart contracts compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), Ethereum’s code execution environment, under post-quantum protection.

Likewise, the price of the ABEL token registered an increase of more than 24% after the Google Quantum AI report.

Those who are in transition

Algorand (ALGO) is the most advanced case in this group. The network executed its first transaction in 2025 protected with Falcon signaturesa lattice-based post-quantum algorithm standardized by NIST.

In the context of Algorand, Falcon specifically shields smart transactions and health tests (cryptographic state-of-chain certifications used in cross-network integrations) and is available as a native operation for smart contract developers.

Falcon also produces signatures of approximately 1,280 bytes, smaller than other post-quantum schemes. although still much heavier than the current ECDSA signatures of 70-75 bytes. According to the paper, Algorand also allows users to change the private keys associated with their accounts, facilitating a future full migration to PQC.

Solana (SOL) appears in the paper with a more limited deployment. According to Google, and as already reported by CriptoNoticias, the network experimentally implemented a function called Solana Winternitz Vault, which uses WOTS+ signatures to protect digital assets stored in specific vaults.

He paper calls it an experimental deployment, which implies that not integrated into the main protocol but available as an option for users who want an additional layer of post-quantum protection for their funds.

Finally, the network created by Ripple, XRP Ledger (XRPL) is also listed on the paper from Google. As mentioned in the report, in December 2025, engineer Denis Angell, from XRPL Labs, confirmed that the AlphaNet experimental network integrated ML-DSA into three components of the protocol, with signatures weighing about 2,420 bytes. :

• The accounts: Replacing elliptic curve-based keys with lattice-based identities.

• The transactions– Requiring ML-DSA signatures to authorize payments and token transfers.

• The consensus between validators– Protecting communications and votes that determine which blocks are valid.

Why do these advances matter beyond these networks?

He paper Google doesn’t just describe these implementations as isolated achievements. He presents them as proof that the transition to PQC is technically feasible in real networks, with real users.

According to the analysis, the main obstacle to migration is that the post-quantum schemes available produce signatures between 10 and 100 times heavier than current oneswhich implies greater space occupation in each block, higher commissions and greater storage requirements for the nodes that maintain the network.

Smaller networks, with more cohesive communities and more agile governance, they could move faster precisely because that cost is distributed over fewer users and less legacy infrastructure.

The panorama that describes the paper from Google is clear: the migration to post-quantum cryptography is not a laboratory hypothesis but an ongoing process. The networks born with PQC from their origin demonstrate that it is possible to build armored chains from the first block, while the deployments of Algorand, Solana and XRP Ledger prove that already established networks can move in that direction without abandoning their ecosystems.

The common denominator in all cases is governance agility: more cohesive communities and more dynamic decision-making structures allowed for faster progress. That is precisely the challenge that the cryptocurrency ecosystem as a whole will have to solve before quantum hardware stops being a theoretical threat.