TechFlow reports that on May 30, Arc officially announced Circle’s publication of its Post-Quantum Security White Paper, which details Circle’s post-quantum security roadmap for the Arc network, USDC, smart contracts, validators, and infrastructure systems.
The white paper states that as quantum computing capabilities continue to advance, blockchain signature mechanisms, validator key management, smart contract security, and network communication systems may all face future challenges. To address this, Circle plans to implement post-quantum cryptography (PQC) technologies in phases.
Specifically, Circle intends to support the SLH-DSA post-quantum signature verification mechanism on the Arc network. During the transition phase, USDC smart contracts will continue to support existing ECDSA-based signature interactions while gradually integrating post-quantum signature capabilities—minimizing migration costs and ensuring ecosystem compatibility.
Circle notes that the timeline for fully transitioning to a post-quantum secure architecture will depend on ecosystem readiness, regulatory requirements, and real-world risk assessments driven by advances in quantum computing; accordingly, this roadmap remains subject to adjustment based on evolving circumstances.
