Key Highlights
- NEAR Protocol launched mainnet upgrade 2.13, adding NIST-approved post-quantum (FIPS-204 ML-DSA) signature support.
- The upgrade makes NEAR one of the first major Layer-1 blockchains to deploy quantum-resistant cryptography in production.
- Dynamic resharding now enables the network to automatically scale by splitting shards without validator votes or manual upgrades.
NEAR Protocol, a sharded Layer 1 blockchain, implemented network upgrade 2.13 on its mainnet today, introducing a NIST-approved post-quantum signature scheme and dynamic resharding capabilities.
According to the official announcement, the upgrade adds support for the FIPS-204 (ML-DSA) post-quantum signing method, positioning NEAR among the first major layer-1 blockchains to deploy such technology in a live production environment.
The upgrade also enables dynamic resharding, allowing the network to automatically adjust its shard structure in response to growing demand without requiring manual protocol upgrades or validator votes.
Why NEAR is preparing for a post-quantum future
Current blockchain transaction signing relies on cryptographic methods that could become vulnerable to future quantum computers. Research suggests that sufficiently advanced quantum systems could compromise widely used signatures, potentially putting significant digital asset holdings at risk.
NEAR’s implementation allows accounts to rotate keys to the new quantum-resistant scheme using the NEAR CLI. The protocol’s account model, which uses human-readable IDs separate from specific keypairs, facilitates this transition more easily than systems where addresses are directly tied to vulnerable cryptography. NEAR is also coordinating with wallet providers, including Ledger, on broader post-quantum support.
The dynamic resharding feature also addresses previous limitations in NEAR’s sharded architecture. Previously, adding shards required coordinated upgrades involving validator votes and staged rollouts.
Building on prior developments
The new system enables automatic shard splitting when predefined thresholds are met, occurring in approximately 1.5 epochs with deterministic validation through state witnesses. This change aims to improve scalability as network usage increases, particularly for applications involving cross-chain intents and consumer-facing services.
Co-founder Illia Polosukhin said the upgrades address the need to handle large-scale agent activity while preparing for long-term cryptographic risks. The upgrade follows years of development on NEAR’s sharded design, which has maintained operational uptime since its 2020 mainnet launch. It builds on prior performance benchmarks but introduces operational changes that will require monitoring in real-world conditions.
Early adoption comes with execution risks
July 2026 has seen several developments around quantum, such as BitGo Holdings (NYSE: BTGO) introducing new tools for institutional clients to manage quantum computing risks in Bitcoin multi-signature wallets. The features include a quantum risk scoring system, improved UTXO selection, guided migration workflows, and updated address controls.
Separately, Marc Vanlerberghe of the Algorand Foundation called for industry-wide collaboration on shared standards for quantum-secure keys derived from seed phrases. Blockstream’s Q2 2026 update highlighted post-quantum research, including the proposed OP_CHECKSHRINCS signature opcode for Bitcoin.
TRON also activated post-quantum signature support (FN-DSA-512) on the Nile testnet following Committee Proposal No. 20628, with founder Justin Sun positioning it as a step toward building a post-quantum secure blockchain.
Challenges remain despite the upgrade
Despite the technical announcements, uncertainties remain around the 2.13 upgrade. Post-quantum cryptography implementations are complex and relatively new in production blockchain environments, raising questions about potential bugs, performance impacts, or compatibility issues with existing tools and wallets.
Dynamic resharding, while innovative, introduces new variables in network stability that could lead to unexpected disruptions during automatic shard splits. Many competing blockchains have taken more cautious approaches to quantum migration, and NEAR’s early adoption carries execution risks.
The broader claims around supporting a multi-trillion-dollar agent economy appear speculative, as actual on-chain adoption and security in high-volume scenarios remain unproven at scale.
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