The rise of quantum computing has sparked concerns about the security of legacy blockchains, with experts suggesting that XRP's architecture may be better equipped to withstand potential threats than Bitcoin's. XRP operates on the XRP Ledger, a decentralized, open-source blockchain that facilitates cross-border transactions through Ripple, a fintech firm.
A key difference between the two lies in their exposure to quantum attacks, which could potentially reverse-engineer private keys from public keys, allowing hackers to drain funds. Typically, a user's public key is exposed when they send a transaction, making their account activity, rather than their balance or address history, the primary factor in determining quantum vulnerability. A recent audit of the XRP Ledger found that approximately 300,000 accounts, holding 2.4 billion XRP, have never sent funds and are therefore quantum-safe by default.
In contrast, Bitcoin's blockchain lacks a key rotation feature, leaving holders with the sole option of moving funds to a new address, which can expose the public key of the old address. Experts point to XRP's key rotation feature, as well as its escrow feature, as additional defenses against quantum risks. Mayukha Vadari, a staff software engineer at Ripple, noted that funds locked in escrow with a time lock are safe due to logic, rather than cryptography, as a time lock prevents withdrawal until a specified time has passed.
While the time lock protects the funds, the account that locked those funds can still carry quantum risks. In comparison, Bitcoin's quantum threat appears more severe, with a significant portion of early bitcoin mined using a format that exposed public keys directly in the transaction output. Google estimates that around 6.9 million BTC are vulnerable, equivalent to nearly 35% of bitcoin's circulating supply, compared to XRP's 0.03%. These factors contribute to XRP's relatively lower exposure to quantum computing risks.