Zcash Developer Plans Post-Quantum Upgrades in January

Zcash full node developer Zakura expects post-quantum signature opcodes to land on the Zcash network in January, enabling hash-based signatures for transparent payments. According to an engineering post by Roman Akhtariev, the goal is to achieve full post-quantum safe transparent pools using hash-based schemes.

Transparent Payments and Quantum Defense

Zcash supports shielded payments alongside publicly visible transparent payments, which use addresses containing hashes of public keys. Zakura's approach combines wallet address rotation after every transaction with a hash-based backup signature known as WOTS, avoiding the elliptic-curve mathematics that researchers fear could be cracked by artificial intelligence or quantum computers.

To solve the privacy issues associated with address rotation, the strategy incorporates private information retrieval, or PIR. This cryptographic technique enables wallets to check balances across multiple addresses without revealing request details to servers. The feature launches this week in the Vizor wallet via a "private queries" settings toggle.

Network Implementation

The proposed updates follow recent warnings from Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake regarding AI-driven mathematical breakthroughs potentially threatening ECDSA signatures. However, the Zakura plan currently covers only transparent payments on Zcash, and the network activation date for the opcodes remains unconfirmed.

Key facts

• Zakura expects post-quantum signature opcodes to land in Zcash in January.
• The integration enables hash-based signatures for transparent network payments.
• A private information retrieval tool rolls out this week in the Vizor wallet.
• The defense combines address rotation with WOTS backup signatures.