Every IronDAG node connection uses ML-KEM-768 — a NIST FIPS 203 post-quantum algorithm that protects the network layer against future quantum decryption. Live on testnet today.
"Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks are already occurring — adversaries record encrypted traffic today to decrypt once quantum computers arrive. IronDAG closes that window now, before quantum hardware exists.
NIST FIPS 203 post-quantum key encapsulation on every peer-to-peer connection. All node traffic is protected against both classical and quantum adversaries.
Peer identity established via Trust-On-First-Use with Ed25519 keys, persisted per node. Prevents identity rotation attacks and cascading peer bans on restart.
All peer connections use QUIC — a modern multiplexed transport with built-in encryption. Faster and more resilient than TCP+TLS for blockchain gossip protocols.
When two IronDAG nodes connect, they perform a post-quantum handshake before any chain data is exchanged. A future quantum computer cannot retroactively decrypt captured sessions.
Why it matters now: An adversary recording IronDAG peer traffic in 2026 cannot decrypt it even after a cryptographically-relevant quantum computer exists — ML-KEM-768 session keys are not vulnerable to Shor's algorithm.
| Layer | Mechanism | Algorithm / Standard | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| P2P Key Exchange | Post-quantum KEM | ML-KEM-768 (NIST FIPS 203) | ● Live |
| Peer Identity | TOFU verification | Ed25519 | ● Live |
| Transport | Encrypted UDP | QUIC | ● Live |
| PoW — Stream A | Proof-of-work hash | Blake3 | ● Live |
| PoW — Stream B | Memory-hard PoW | B3MemHash (256KB, SIMD) | ● Live |
| Consensus | BlockDAG finality | GhostDAG | ● Live |
| Transaction Privacy | Zero-knowledge proofs | Groth16 / BN254 (zk-SNARKs) | ◌ Planned |
The cryptographic infrastructure for optional private transactions is in the IronDAG codebase — Groth16/BN254 proving system and nullifier set are built. Mainnet activation is a post-testnet milestone.
Hide sender, receiver, and amount using Pedersen commitments and a nullifier set. Privacy is opt-in — transparent transactions remain the default.
~500ms proof generation, ~10ms on-chain verification. Infrastructure is in the codebase with performance validated on reference hardware.
Execute EVM contracts without revealing inputs or outputs. Full EVM compatibility is maintained — existing contracts work with the optional privacy flag.
Status: The zk-SNARK proving circuit and nullifier system are written and passing internal tests. Activation requires a protocol hard fork. We are completing testnet stress-testing and fee model design before scheduling the upgrade.
The testnet is live with ML-KEM-768 active on all peer connections. Explore blocks, add IronDAG to MetaMask, or read the full technical architecture.
Full architecture: GhostDAG, BraidCore mining, ML-KEM-768, EVM, and the zk-SNARK roadmap.
Read Whitepaper →Core concepts repository — protocol specification and architecture documents.
View on GitHub →