Algorand tells quantum computers: "Falcon heavy" — network pledges post-quantum armor by 2027

The Algorand Foundation on Thursday unveiled a roadmap aimed at delivering "broad quantum resilience" across its layer-1 blockchain by the end of 2027, with the first upgrades scheduled to begin rolling out in 2026. Algorand Foundation CTO Bruno Martins framed the plan as a long-term engineering commitment rather than an emergency response. "Algorand's roadmap reflects a belief that security should be designed for the future," Martins wrote. "With the first milestones launching in 2026 and broad deployment targeted for the end of 2027, Algorand is taking concrete steps toward a future where users, developers, and institutions can build with confidence, today and in the decades ahead." He added that the foundation "does not surrender to alarmism" given the uncertainty around quantum timelines.

The roadmap centers on Falcon, a post-quantum digital signature scheme, and will introduce new quantum-resistant accounts as well as hybrid accounts that pair traditional signatures with Falcon-based ones to support users during the migration. The foundation also plans upgrades to multisignature wallets and institutional custody systems, plus a quantum-resistant replacement for the cryptographic randomness used to select validators and alternatives to current consensus signatures.

The announcement comes as governments and standards bodies tighten quantum-readiness deadlines. France's cybersecurity agency ANSSI said on Tuesday it will stop certifying security products that lack quantum-resistant encryption, pushing businesses toward quantum-safe products by 2030. The U.S. National Security Agency has required all new national security systems to use its quantum-resistant algorithms starting Jan. 1, 2027, with nonquantum-resistant systems to be phased out by the end of 2030. Google has set its own internal deadline for 2029.

Industry players are also accelerating preparations. Last month, Tezos launched a prototype blockchain for payments designed to resist quantum attacks, and stablecoin issuer Circle released a roadmap in April for its Arc blockchain to become quantum-ready. Amazon, IBM and Google have publicly targeted quantum resistance by 2030. In March, Google researchers published a paper suggesting quantum computers may need fewer resources than previously estimated to break blockchain cryptography, and noted Algorand was likely the most quantum-ready major network; Ethereum and Solana are also actively exploring solutions.

The policy debate over vulnerable assets is sharpening in parallel. Coinbase's quantum advisory council, in a new report released Thursday, identified the fate of cryptocurrency belonging to owners who never migrate to quantum-safe addresses as one of the most contentious questions facing the industry. Separately, Glassnode estimated that nearly 10% of Bitcoin ($BTC) supply is "structurally unsafe" from a quantum breakthrough, while in April Algorand's token ($ALGO) surged more than 40% after Google cited the network's "real-world deployment" of post-quantum cryptography.