Countdown to Q-Day with Project 11

In this episode, Anna Rose chats with Alex Pruden and Conor Deegan from Project 11. They revisit the topic of quantum computing and explore the threat it poses to cryptographic systems like blockchains. As blockchain technology becomes increasingly integrated into global financial infrastructure — especially through stablecoins and banking rails — the stakes for quantum security continue to rise. Alex and Conor break down which algorithms are most at risk, why simple network upgrades won’t be enough, and what users will need to do to protect their own funds. They also outline potential mitigation strategies, including how Project 11 is approaching the challenge with post-quantum signature schemes, secure vaults, and a global namespace to coordinate user migrations ahead of “Q-Day.” The conversation also touched on how post-quantum thinking overlaps with zero-knowledge research, as hash- and lattice-based SNARKs offer resilience against future quantum attacks. Related links:

• Project 11
• Yellow Pages
• PQC Suite B GitHub
• Securing Sui in the Quantum Computing Era
• Quantum resource estimation for large scale quantum algorithms: Section 5
• Estimating the cost of generic quantum pre-image attacks on SHA-2 and SHA-3
• Downtime Required for Bitcoin Quantum-Safety

ZK Podcast Previous Related Episodes on the topic:

• Quantum Engineering with Jelena Vučković
• Quantum Punks with Alex and Nicola
• Quantum Cryptography Part 2 with Or Sattath

ZK Whiteboard Sessions is an educational video series produced by ZK Hack in collaboration with Bain Capital Crypto. It is focused on the building blocks of zero knowledge technology. Find season 3 of the Whiteboard Sessions as well as previous seasons here.