Built for a world where
quantum exists.
NIST finalized four post-quantum cryptography standards in 2024. QNTM is built on them. Not on a roadmap item. Not on a fork that adds PQC as an afterthought. The protocol starts here.
Algorithm Stack
Every standard listed here is NIST-final (FIPS ratified 2024). No pre-standard schemes.
| Standard | Original Name | Type | Used For | Sig Size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIPS 204 | ML-DSA (CRYSTALS-Dilithium) | Lattice | Validator keys | ~3,293 B | Active |
| FIPS 206 | FN-DSA (FALCON-512) | NTRU Lattice | Transaction signatures | ~666 B | Active |
| FIPS 203 | ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber) | Lattice (KEM) | Node TLS / key exchange | N/A | Active |
| FIPS 205 | SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+) | Hash-based | Optional hybrid fallback | 7–50 KB | Optional |
Architecture
DeFi Applications
Native DEX, lending protocol, stablecoin. EVM smart contracts. Solidity/Vyper unmodified.
EVM Runtime (Ethermint)
Full Ethereum Virtual Machine. Every opcode. Same ABI. Same tooling. No rewrites.
Cosmos SDK State Machine
Modular state machine: bank, staking, governance, IBC. Instant finality.
CometBFT Consensus (ML-DSA validator keys)
BFT consensus with ML-DSA (FIPS 204) replacing Ed25519. Every validator key is PQC from genesis.
Validator Nodes (bare metal, dedicated)
21 validators minimum. 8-core CPU, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe, 1 Gbps uptime per node.
IBC: Free Connectivity From Day One
Inter-Blockchain Communication is built into the Cosmos SDK. QNTM inherits it from genesis. Every chain in the Cosmos ecosystem is reachable via IBC on day one. That includes Osmosis (the largest DEX in the Cosmos ecosystem), where QNTM can be listed immediately after mainnet launch without a centralized exchange negotiation.
Osmosis DEX
Day-one listing via IBC. No negotiation required.
Cosmos Hub
ATOM/QNTM bridge from launch.
Any IBC Chain
Over 100 IBC-connected chains reachable.
Why Migration Does Not Work
Ethereum's Hegotia upgrade is the most ambitious migration attempt in blockchain history. It requires replacing ECDSA across millions of existing wallets, billions of dollars in smart contracts, and hundreds of millions of lines of dependent code. The coordination problem is enormous. The timeline is already delayed.
Bitcoin has no credible migration plan. BIP proposals for PQC exist. Getting consensus across the Bitcoin network for a signature algorithm change is a multi-decade coordination problem with no clear resolution mechanism. The UTXO set containing vulnerable P2PK outputs cannot be unilaterally migrated.
Migrations carry the weight of every past decision. QNTM carries none of that weight. The protocol starts with NIST-final algorithms and builds forward.
Read the full protocol specification in the open-source repository.