TRON founder Justin Sun has announced a concrete timeline for upgrading the network to quantum-resistant security, positioning TRON as an early mover among major blockchains in addressing the potential threats posed by quantum computing.
In an X post on April 26, 2026, Sun stated that TRON will launch a quantum-resistant testnet in Q2 2026, followed by a mainnet rollout in Q3 2026. He described the upgrade as part of TRON's ambition to become the “world’s first quantum-resistant network.” Sun emphasized that protecting user funds in an AI-driven era depends heavily on post-quantum cryptography. “As the founder of a major cryptocurrency, we should, while focusing on the benefits of AI applications, pay close attention to the risks brought by AI development, with quantum computing’s decryption being the most core key,” he said.
The announcement follows a significant milestone in quantum attack demonstrations. Independent researcher Giancarlo Lelli successfully cracked a 15-bit elliptic curve key using publicly accessible quantum hardware. The feat earned him a 1 BTC reward from Project Eleven, marking the largest public quantum attack demonstration to date. While a 15-bit key is far from the 256-bit encryption used in Bitcoin and other leading networks, the progress is notable: the previous public demonstration broke only a 6-bit key in 2025, representing a 512-fold increase in complexity within months.
Resource estimates for cracking full-scale encryption are also declining. A recent Google Research paper suggests that fewer than 500,000 physical qubits may be sufficient to break 256-bit elliptic curve cryptography, down from earlier projections in the millions. While such machines do not yet exist, the trend is drawing attention across the crypto industry.
Risk exposure is not uniform across all wallets. Addresses with publicly visible keys are more vulnerable under a quantum attack model. Estimates suggest roughly 6.9 million BTC fall into this category, including long-dormant holdings linked to early adopters.
Developers across the industry are already exploring migration paths. Bitcoin's proposed BIP-360 introduces quantum-safe address formats. Other networks, including Ethereum, the Solana Foundation, and Ripple, as well as major technology firms like Coinbase and Google, have also outlined post-quantum security plans. The Ethereum Foundation launched a Post-Quantum Ethereum site in March, with some Layer 1 protocol upgrades expected to finish by 2029. The Solana Foundation has tested post-quantum digital signatures on a testnet. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced an advisory board in January 2026 focused on quantum computing and blockchain security. Google has set a 2029 target for its post-quantum cryptography migration.
