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Report says Sui plans NIST-approved post-quantum signatures, eyes Q1 2027 mainnet

Report says Sui plans NIST-approved post-quantum signatures, eyes Q1 2027 mainnet

PBX Science reported the layer-1 network would use ML-DSA-65 for standard accounts and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s for vaults, with optional migration, testnet by end-2026 and mainnet in Q1 2027.

SUI

Fact Check
Multiple sources dated August 6, 2026 (Crypto Briefing, blockchainreporter, CoinNess) report the same specific details: adoption of ML-DSA-65 (FIPS 204) for native accounts and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s (FIPS 205) for smart contract vaults, harvest-now-forge-later motivation, retention of recovery phrases and addresses via address aliases, and Mainnet rollout targeting through Q1 2027. Sui's official blog confirms the underlying strategy of migrating to lattice- and hash-based post-quantum signatures using its cryptographic agility. NIST confirms both cited schemes are NIST-approved standards. I could not retrieve a direct official Sui announcement page for this specific August 2026 release, so I fall just short of maximum confidence, but the consistent, detailed multi-source corroboration strongly supports the claim.
Summary

Sui Foundation is planning to integrate two NIST-approved post-quantum signature schemes in a tiered security model, with PBX Science outlining ML-DSA-65 for standard accounts and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s for high-value vaults in Move smart contracts. The reported design would let users derive quantum-resistant keys from existing recovery phrases, while earlier Sui materials said address aliases would allow authorization keys to be updated without moving assets. PBX Science said the roadmap points to testnet by the end of 2026 and mainnet in the first quarter of 2027, which would put Sui among the first major blockchains to adopt finalized NIST post-quantum standards at the protocol level if executed. The Sui Foundation had not posted an official confirmation on its press center as of Aug. 7, 2026, leaving questions around performance, gas costs, wallet and custodian support, and whether earlier, more aggressive vault rollout targets have been revised.

Terms & Concepts
  • ML-DSA-65: A NIST-approved post-quantum digital signature scheme that Sui plans to use for standard user accounts.
  • SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s: A NIST-approved hash-based post-quantum signature scheme that Sui plans to reserve for higher-assurance asset vaults.
  • Move smart contracts: Programs written in Sui's Move language that can hold assets and enforce custom security rules on-chain.