Aptos proposes optional post-quantum account signatures (AIP-137)
Aptos Labs has submitted AIP-137 to add an optional post-quantum signature option at the account level, proposing SLH-DSA — a hash-based scheme standardized as FIPS 205 — as a new account signature type. Adoption would be voluntary and backward-compatible: existing addresses and accounts remain unchanged while institutions, custodians, validators and developers can opt in to quantum-resistant account keys. Aptos frames the proposal as a precaution against long-term threats from quantum computing and aligns with broader industry activity (for example Solana’s post-quantum tests and Bitcoin community debates like BIP-360). If accepted by governance, Aptos would become one of the first production Layer‑1 chains to natively support post-quantum accounts. For traders, the change is primarily technical and precautionary with minimal immediate price implications for APT, but it signals maturation in security planning across Layer‑1 ecosystems and could influence long‑horizon custody, cross-chain security assessments, and institutional risk management.
Neutral
The proposal is a technical, precautionary upgrade that does not force changes to existing accounts and is optional for users. That makes immediate market impact on APT unlikely. Traders typically react to changes that affect supply, utility, adoption, or short-term network activity; AIP-137 mainly affects long‑term security posture and institutional readiness rather than near-term fundamentals. In the short term, expect minimal price movement or volatility tied directly to this news. Over the medium to long term, the proposal may have modest positive effects: it signals stronger security planning and could improve institutional confidence, custody practices, and cross‑chain risk assessments if widely adopted — factors that slowly support network credibility and potentially demand. However, these effects are diffuse and uncertain, leaving the direct price impact neutral overall.