Key Highlights
- NEAR Protocol says its accounts support ML-DSA post-quantum signatures, allowing users to change signing schemes without moving assets to new accounts.
- The network’s NEP-655 proposal allows users to transfer assets to committed implicit accounts without initializing them first.
- NEP-655 is live on testnet, with mainnet deployment expected in the coming weeks, according to NEAR.
NEAR Protocol says its account model supports post-quantum signatures, while additional wallet and recovery features remain under development. The announcement comes as Ethereum researcher Justin Drake urges crypto holders to prepare for potential cryptographic breakthroughs.
In an October 9 post on X, NEAR said its accounts support the ML-DSA digital-signature scheme, designed to resist attacks from quantum computers. The team also outlined a testnet proposal for committed implicit accounts and planned wallet-signing and recovery features.
The announcement covers several separate developments: existing account support for ML-DSA, a committed-account proposal on testnet, and wallet-signing and recovery features that remain in development.
NEAR accounts support alternative signing schemes
NEAR said its account model allows users to adopt ML-DSA signatures without moving their assets to new accounts.
Digital signatures verify that transactions have been authorized by the relevant account holder. Many blockchain networks rely on cryptographic methods that could become vulnerable if sufficiently powerful quantum computers are developed.
ML-DSA is a post-quantum digital-signature standard designed to resist attacks from classical and quantum computers. However, support for the standard does not establish that every application or asset within NEAR’s ecosystem is protected against quantum threats.
The announcement did not include independent security-test results or performance benchmarks for NEAR’s implementation.
NEP-655 allows transfers to committed accounts
NEAR also highlighted NEP-655, a proposal for committed implicit accounts that is currently live on testnet. The proposal allows users to derive an account locally from a hash of its intended post-initialization state. Assets can then be transferred to that account without requiring the user to initialize it first.
Because the blockchain records a commitment hash rather than the account’s public key or a hash of that key, the design is intended to limit exposure of key-related information before initialization.
NEAR contributor Anton Astafiev described the approach in an October 8 post on X:
“You derive a 0u123…abc account locally from the hash of the state it will have once initialized, and just transfer assets there.”
The proposal could eventually allow committed accounts to support multiple keys, accounts without conventional keys, and custom smart-contract-based signing or recovery mechanisms.
NEAR said mainnet deployment is expected in the coming weeks, but it has not announced a specific date. Keeping a public key hidden does not guarantee quantum resistance. Protection will depend on the account implementation, signing scheme, and recovery mechanisms.
Wallet contracts could support alternative signatures
NEAR is developing custom signing extensions for NEAR Intents Wallet Contracts, including support for ML-DSA and hash-based signature schemes. The planned extensions are intended to let wallet developers implement alternative signing methods rather than relying exclusively on conventional public-key signatures.
NEAR has not specified which hash-based schemes will be supported or provided a timeline for the extensions.
Recovery registry targets other blockchains
NEAR is also working on a proposed Q-day recovery registry for blockchains that cannot yet support post-quantum keys or commitments. Under the concept, users could register rotatable recovery-key commitments as hashes on NEAR. The registry could potentially provide a recovery mechanism for users holding assets on other networks.
NEAR contributor Anton Astafiev said the approach could extend beyond NEAR-native accounts.
The registry remains under development, and NEAR has not announced a launch date. Details about how it would interact with other blockchains’ governance, consensus, and recovery rules have not been provided.
Drake flags quantum risks for crypto holders
The announcement follows a Crypto Times report updated on October 8, which covered Ethereum researcher Justin Drake’s warning about elliptic-curve digital-signature cryptography (ECDSA).
Drake recommended that crypto holders consider moving assets to fresh addresses whose public keys have not been exposed through previous transactions. He presented this as a precaution against the possibility of cryptographic breakthroughs arriving sooner than expected.
Drake also advocated greater use of hash-based security for Ethereum’s future and warned that rushing an address migration could introduce additional risks. His recommendations provide context for NEAR’s work, but do not establish that existing cryptographic systems have been broken or that a practical quantum attack is imminent.
NEAR’s post-quantum features remain in development
NEAR says its account model supports ML-DSA signatures, while NEP-655 remains on testnet and the wallet extensions and recovery registry are still in development.
The proposals target different parts of post-quantum security, but their effectiveness will depend on implementation and adoption. NEAR has not announced a confirmed timeline for deploying all the planned features.
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