Workshop on Quantum-Safe Technologies: Foundations for Quantum Blockchains (and Beyond) (QUANTUM)

Scope

Quantum-Safe technologies are becoming a practical requirement for long‑lived digital trust: digital systems, protocols, and infrastructures must remain secure and trustworthy even in the presence of quantum‑enabled adversaries. This includes post‑quantum cryptography (PQC), quantum communications (e.g., quantum key distribution, QKD), broader quantum cryptographic primitives, as well as crypto‑agility, secure architectures, and operational practices that enable systems to evolve over time.

Blockchains and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) are a particularly demanding target for Quantum-Safe design because they amplify security assumptions across cryptography, protocols, networking, governance, and system architecture, and rely heavily on cryptographic primitives for authentication (transactions and governance), integrity (commitments and Merkle structures), secure networking (node-to-node channels), and long‑term public verifiability. As quantum computing advances, widely deployed public‑key primitives used in today’s infrastructures (including blockchains and their surrounding trust stack) require a migration roadmap and robust upgrade strategies.

In this workshop, we use Quantum Blockchain as a motivating systems objective: a blockchain (or distributed ledger) whose core security properties remain robust under a quantum threat model and whose design can interoperate with emerging quantum‑network capabilities where relevant. In other words: Quantum-Safe technologies provide the foundation, and Quantum Blockchain represents one of their most illustrative and high‑impact system‑level applications.

We welcome contributions on Quantum-Safe security and cryptographic agility, including work validated outside a specific blockchain context, if the results are clearly applicable or transferable to blockchain and DLT settings (e.g., wallets, PKI, bridges, IoT, supply chain, cloud, and critical infrastructures).

Topics

Topics may be theoretical, experimental, or deployment‑driven. We welcome original research papers, experience reports, reproducible benchmarks, and systematization‑of‑knowledge (SoK) contributions. The list of topics below is indicative rather than exhaustive and should not be considered exclusive; submissions are welcome if they fall within the broader scope of Quantum‑Safe technologies, even if they do not neatly fit a specific topic. We explicitly value work whose results can be transferred to practical Quantum Blockchain roadmaps and deployments; however, novel, early‑stage, and more fundamental research contributions are also welcome, even if they do not yet have a clear short‑term application to Quantum Blockchains, provided their relevance or potential impact can be articulated.

A) Quantum-Safe primitives and building blocks for ledgers

Post‑quantum signatures for transactions, governance, smart contracts (incl. multisign/threshold/aggregation).
PQ key establishment (KEMs) and hybrid key exchange for node networking and secure channels.
Quantum‑aware parameterization of hashing/symmetric crypto for ledger primitives (e.g., Merkle/commitments, PoW where applicable).
Post‑quantum commitments and long‑term validation of historical data.
PQC‑compatible privacy primitives (ledger privacy, ZK-related assumptions, commitments).

B) Crypto‑agility, migration, and interoperability

Crypto‑agile ledger architectures: upgrades, negotiation, key rotation, address formats, backward compatibility.
Migration strategies and operational playbooks (phased rollouts, hybrid modes, risk management).
Performance/footprint benchmarks, parameter tuning, implementation trade‑offs.
Standardization and compliance constraints for adoption.

C) Quantum communications and quantum cryptography as enablers

QKD architectures and integration patterns for DLT node communications (permissioned/consortium/hybrid).
Hybrid approaches (QKD + classical authentication + PQC) and quantum‑safe key management.
Quantum randomness sources/beacons for committee selection, leader election, and on‑chain randomness.
Beyond QKD: quantum digital signatures, quantum authentication, and other quantum‑cryptographic primitives as future ledger building blocks.

D) Quantum Blockchain security and protocol design

Threat models and formal analysis against quantum adversaries; composable security perspectives.
Consensus and incentives under quantum capabilities (PoW/PoS/BFT): fairness, centralization pressure, mitigations.
Cross‑chain interoperability and bridges under quantum threats.
Quantum‑safe smart‑contract patterns, governance mechanisms, and secure execution assumptions.

E) Implementations, testbeds, and real‑world use cases

Reference implementations, reproducible testbeds, and deployment lessons for PQC/QKD integration.
Secure engineering topics (side‑channels, HSM/secure enclaves’ integration, operational security).
Industry use cases (finance, healthcare, identity, IoT, supply chain, critical infrastructures).

F) Ethical, governance, and regulatory considerations

Governance of cryptographic migration and long‑term maintenance.
Privacy, societal impacts, and responsible deployment of quantum‑safe and quantum‑enabled infrastructures.
Standards, regulatory frameworks, and compliance for Quantum-Safe adoption.

The Workshop on Quantum-Safe Technologies aims to facilitate a comprehensive exploration of the transformative potential that arises from the integration of quantum computing and blockchain. Through collaborative discussions and the dissemination of cutting-edge research, participants will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field.

Relevance of the workshop to the Congress

The relevance of the Quantum-Safe workshop to the 8th International Congress on Blockchain is evident in the following key points, and is further strengthened by the broader Quantum-Safe perspective proposed in this edition:

Addressing the Quantum Threat

Quantum Computing's Impact: The workshop addresses the growing concern that quantum technologies pose to the security, resilience, and trust assumptions of existing blockchain systems and their surrounding infrastructures.
Proactive Security Measures: By exploring Quantum-Safe technologies (including PQC, quantum communications, crypto‑agility, and secure architectures) the workshop contributes to the long‑term robustness, maintainability, and evolution of blockchain systems.

Exploring New Frontiers

Quantum-Enhanced Blockchain: The workshop explores into the potential of quantum computing to enhance blockchain capabilities, such as faster transaction processing and improved privacy.
Innovative Applications: By discussing practical implementations and use cases, the workshop highlights the potential of quantum blockchain to revolutionize various industries.

Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Bridging the Gap: The workshop brings together researchers, academics, and industry professionals from diverse fields, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Addressing Ethical and Regulatory Challenges: By discussing ethical implications and regulatory frameworks, the workshop contributes to the responsible development and deployment of quantum blockchain technologies.

Aligning with the Congress's Goals

Promoting Research and Innovation: The workshop aligns with the Congress goal of promoting research and innovation in blockchain technology, and offers a natural home for peer‑reviewed research contributions on Quantum-Safe technologies that may originate beyond blockchain but are expected to impact blockchain and DLTs in the future.
Addressing Future Challenges: By focusing on emerging trends and challenges, the workshop helps shape the future of blockchain.

In conclusion, the Quantum-Safe workshop could be a crucial component of the 8^th International Congress on Blockchain. By addressing the quantum threat, exploring new possibilities, and fostering collaboration, the workshop contributes to the advancement of blockchain technology and its potential to revolutionize various industries.