- BNB researchers warn larger quantum signatures could reduce blockchain transaction throughput drastically.
- pqSTARK aggregation improved validator efficiency despite rising block propagation delays across networks.
- Researchers say future blockchain upgrades remain necessary for post-quantum scalability demands.
BNB Chain researchers have warned that post-quantum cryptography could create serious scalability problems for blockchain networks as developers prepare for future quantum computing threats. According to the report, the biggest challenge may not involve consensus systems, but the massive increase in transaction and block sizes linked to quantum-resistant signatures.
Researchers explored how BSC could migrate toward post-quantum security by implementing ML-DSA-44 transaction signatures alongside pqSTARK aggregation technology. The proposed upgrade aims to replace current cryptographic methods such as ECDSA and BLS, which quantum computers could eventually compromise in the future. Although researchers confirmed that post-quantum readiness is technically achievable today, they also warned that the transition would create significant scalability trade-offs across blockchain networks.
Current blockchain transactions remain relatively small under existing encryption systems. However, post-quantum signatures require substantially larger amounts of data. Researchers explained that a standard BSC transaction currently averages around 110 bytes. After shifting to ML-DSA-44 signatures, the average transaction size reportedly increases to nearly 2.5 KB. At the same time, block sizes rise from roughly 130 KB to almost 2 MB under similar transaction loads.
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Larger Transactions Could Reduce Blockchain Efficiency
Researchers stated that the dramatic increase in data size directly impacts overall network performance because larger blocks require more time to propagate between validator nodes. During testing, throughput reportedly declined between 40% and 50%, while cross-region finality delays became more noticeable under heavier network conditions. Despite those challenges, researchers clarified that the consensus mechanism itself remained relatively efficient throughout the experiments.
The report further explained that pqSTARK aggregation significantly reduced validator signature data by nearly 43 times, helping maintain consensus efficiency despite the larger transaction sizes. However, researchers stressed that the primary bottleneck came from the network’s need to transfer much larger amounts of information across decentralized infrastructure. Consequently, scalability concerns may become one of the biggest obstacles facing blockchain networks during any future transition toward post-quantum cryptography.
Besides discussing performance concerns, the report also explained why researchers selected ML-DSA-44 over larger post-quantum variants. According to the findings, the chosen version delivers strong security while keeping signatures smaller and verification speeds faster, making it more practical for high-throughput blockchain environments like BSC.
Researchers also emphasized that quantum computers still cannot realistically break Bitcoin or BSC encryption systems today. Nevertheless, the study suggests blockchain networks may eventually require major infrastructure upgrades to maintain scalability and transaction speeds in a post-quantum future.
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