New on-chain analysis suggests XRP’s exposure to potential quantum computing attacks is limited. Researcher Vet stated that only two large dormant wallets, each holding roughly 21 million XRP, have been inactive over five years with public keys exposed. In contrast, approximately 300,000 XRP accounts holding 2.4 billion XRP have never made outgoing transactions, keeping their keys hidden. The findings highlight a structural difference with Bitcoin, which has larger vulnerable dormant holdings.
A researcher known as Vet stated that XRP’s surface area for future quantum attacks appears limited. Only two large dormant wallets, each holding about 21 million XRP, have been inactive for more than five years while also exposing their public keys.
Vet wrote that roughly 300,000 XRP accounts holding a combined 2.4 billion tokens have never made an outgoing transaction. This keeps their public keys hidden and resistant to quantum-based attacks that rely on deriving private keys.
“Dormant vulnerable XRP whales are almost nonexistent,” Vet wrote. The researcher noted this presents a sharp contrast with the Bitcoin network, which has large dormant holdings like those believed to belong to founder Satoshi Nakamoto.
The distinction stems from how the XRP Ledger handles accounts. Addresses do not expose public keys until a transaction is signed, unlike Bitcoin’s older pay-to-public-key format.
For active accounts, risk can be managed through signing key rotation. Vet noted this isn’t a perfect solution, adding that more advanced quantum-resistant cryptography may be adopted later.
Ripple engineer Mayukha Vadari said the chain’s escrow mechanisms offer additional safeguards. Funds locked in escrow cannot be accessed before a set time, regardless of computing power.
“If you have any doubts just escrow your holdings,” Vadari advised. The concerns follow a recent Google research paper suggesting advanced quantum machines could break major cryptocurrency wallet keys in minutes.
Crypto analyst Udi Wertheimer argued in early April that the Lightning Network is structurally vulnerable. Its payment channel design requires public keys to be shared with counterparties, leaving them exposed.
