hodler

21 Apr 2026, 14:01

Ripple unveils four-phase plan to make the XRP Ledger quantum-resistant by 2028

Ripple Labs is working on a structured plan to transition the XRP Ledger (XRPL), which uses XRP as its native token, to post-quantum cryptography by 2028. In the first phase, Ripple Labs has outlined an emergency response plan in the event that classical cryptography breaks unexpectedly. Under this contingency, XRPL could implement a hard fork that no longer accepts classical public-key standards. As for the second phase, Ripple intends to conduct a full assessment of quantum risk across the XRP Ledger. The evaluation could examine how changes to post-quantum cryptography may impact the network’s transaction performance, storage, and bandwidth.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ For the third phase, the blockchain payment company plans to integrate candidate post-quantum signature schemes alongside existing elliptic-curve ones. They intend to begin on Devnet for developer testing. In the final phase, the firm plans to propose a new amendment to the XRPL ecosystem to introduce native post-quantum cryptography, transitioning the entire network to post-quantum signatures at scale. Ripple Labs leverages existing XRP Ledger features to accelerate post-quantum transition Ripple Labs intends to involve team members from its development division, RippleX, to roll out the four-phase roadmap targeting full quantum-resistant signatures across the XRPL. Through this roadmap, the company aims to preserve the XRP Ledger’s existing strengths while integrating quantum-resistant cryptography. The roadmap is designed to minimize disruption if a sudden quantum breakthrough occurs before the migration is complete. The XRPL network already has several foundational features to protect users against quantum threats, including native key rotation, as Finbold reported . However, Ripple Labs has acknowledged that its current XRPL cryptographic protections are insufficient to withstand a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, thereby necessitating a planned migration over the next two years. Moreover, Google has cautioned the blockchain industry that a powerful quantum computer could break cryptography as early as 2029, as Finbold previously noted . The post Ripple unveils four-phase plan to make the XRP Ledger quantum-resistant by 2028 appeared first on Finbold .

21 Apr 2026, 14:01

Optimism Bills 'Privacy Boost' as Turning Point for Enterprises on Ethereum

The layer-2 Ethereum scaling network’s privacy offering is expected to expand to additional blockchains.

21 Apr 2026, 14:00

XRP Poised To Dominate New DeFi Cycle, XRPL Validator Says

XRP’s decentralized finance ecosystem is growing fast. Its FXRP supply is closing in on 160 million tokens, a milestone that signals rising adoption just months after launch — and the numbers are fueling a broader argument about where XRP stands in the future of decentralized finance. Related Reading: $1.4 Billion Pours Into Crypto — What’s Driving The Surge? XRPL Validator Makes The Case For Stability A validator on the XRP Ledger known as Vet made waves on X this week, arguing that XRP is built to drive the next phase of DeFi in a way that other protocols are not. His argument doesn’t rest on raw performance data. Instead, it centers on what the XRP Ledger was deliberately designed to leave out. According to Vet, the protocol skips features like complex smart contract composability and staking — tools common on rival chains — because those features carry hidden dangers. Classic DeFi has a long way to go to replace TradFi completely as we can see. XRP will lead the new wave of DeFi. People aren’t ready for it but it’s inevitable, our protocol design choices are superior and more robust for high value use cases such as DeFi replacing TradFi. — Vet (@Vet_X0) April 19, 2026 Cascading failures, layered bugs, and compounding risks are what he calls “multiplicative risk.” By avoiding them, he says, the XRP Ledger becomes a more solid base for high-value financial applications. Traditional finance, he added, is far from being replaced by existing DeFi systems, and XRP’s design makes it better suited for that long transition. A portion of the FXRP supply is already locked into protocols including Firelight, Kinetic, BlazeSwap, and Upshift. XRP holders are using these platforms for yield and liquidity, marking the early stages of an ecosystem that continues to build out through Flare Network’s staking infrastructure. Flare Founder Fires Back Not everyone accepted Vet’s framing without question. Hugo Philion, the founder of Flare Network, pushed back on what he saw as premature claims of superiority. Philion said he supports both XRP and the XRP Ledger, but argued that no protocol earns the right to claim it is better until it has been put through real pressure at real scale. As you know I am a big believer in XRPL and XRP but this kind of grave dancing is extremely unseemly especially as various protocols have had issues and bugs when being rolled out on XRP Ledger. Before commenting on the superiority of protocol design choices etc you would need… — Hugo Philion (@HugoPhilion) April 20, 2026 He pointed out that multiple crypto protocols — including those tied to XRPL — have run into bugs and rollout problems. Related Reading: XRP A Strong Buy Before 2027 Despite 27% Drop In 2026: Finance Advisory Firm DeFi, he said, is still maturing across the board, and XRP’s entry into the space should be seen as part of that wider development, not a leap ahead of it. Vet responded by clarifying his position. He was not arguing that XRP beats the competition outright. His point, he said, was about managing downside risk — and that the trade-offs baked into the XRP Ledger are intentional choices, not shortcomings. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

21 Apr 2026, 14:00

AAVE whale dumps $3M at 38% loss – Is $90 support at risk?

A dormant AAVE whale returned after one year, and sold 32,415 AAVE, worth $3.01 million.

21 Apr 2026, 14:00

MIT Researcher Proposes New Path To Make Bitcoin Quantum-Safe

MIT Digital Currency Initiative director Neha Narula has laid out a proposed roadmap for making Bitcoin resilient to a future cryptographically relevant quantum computer, arguing the network should prioritize a practical, low-risk path that lets users secure their coins now rather than waiting for consensus on harder questions such as how to handle unmoved coins. In a post published April 20, Narula said Bitcoin does not need “100% of the answers immediately” before taking meaningful action. Instead, she argued for a staged approach: deploy a post-quantum-safe output type and signature scheme through a soft fork, coordinate wallet and application support around it, and push users toward migration well before any true quantum emergency arrives. Bitcoin Needs Low-Risk Quantum Defenses Now Her core thesis is straightforward. “We should make the low-harm, low-risk, high-benefit, safety-critical mitigations NOW, and save the high-harm, high-risk mitigations for LATER, when we know with more certainty a CRQC is close,” she wrote, using CRQC to refer to a cryptographically relevant quantum computer. The proposal Narula favors centers on P2MR, described in BIP 360 , combined with a new post-quantum signature opcode and cryptographic agility. In her framing, that combination would allow Bitcoin users to move funds into an output type that remains safe against a quantum attacker, provided they do not reveal a non-post-quantum public key through address reuse or similar behavior. “If this is done, it gives Bitcoin users the ability to move their coins to a safe output type immediately, having confidence their coins are safe even if a powerful CRQC appears, without worrying about future softforks,” she wrote. “The best candidate for this I have seen so far is P2MR (BIP 360) in conjunction with a new PQ signature opcode and cryptographic agility.” Narula’s case is not that this solves everything. It does not. She draws a clear distinction between protecting individual users who migrate early and protecting Bitcoin as a system if a large share of coins remains vulnerable. That unresolved portion, which she labels X, is central to the longer-term debate. If only a negligible amount of bitcoin remains exposed, she suggests the network could likely absorb the risk. If the number is large, the situation could become far more destabilizing. “At the very least I’d say it depends on exact numbers,” she wrote. “If only 0.0001% of coins are insecure, I think Bitcoin will be fine. If 20% of coins are insecure, I think things would probably get pretty chaotic if a CRQC would appear.” Still, Narula argues that uncertainty over X should not delay the first step. A migration path would generate real on-chain data about adoption and give Bitcoin time to reduce the vulnerable share before the network is forced into more contentious decisions. In her telling, the difficult debate over whether old, inactive or lost coins should eventually be frozen can wait. “Most importantly, we do not have to decide what to do with people who are unlikely to show up to do anything at all ( Satoshi’s coins ) right now in order to make progress,” she wrote. “Eventually, if a CRQC seems close, we will have to make a decision one way or the other… But resolving that conversation is not needed to make useful, meaningful progress.” Narula also pushed back on ideas she sees as distractions or inferior near-term solutions. She dismissed the notion that research proof-of-concept approaches, such as manually constructing post-quantum verification in script or relying on expensive escape-hatch mechanisms, should anchor Bitcoin’s main response. Those ideas may be technically possible, she said, but not operationally suitable for broad deployment. She also acknowledged the tradeoffs. P2MR would reduce one of Taproot’s efficient privacy properties by eliminating the key spend path, and it depends on wallets handling address reuse correctly. She flagged those as real downsides, but not enough to outweigh the benefit of giving users a way to protect funds without waiting for a second, more politically fraught soft fork. The roadmap Narula sketched leaves Bitcoin’s hardest governance questions unresolved. That is the point. Her argument is that the network should stop treating perfect alignment as a prerequisite for obvious preparation. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $75,802.

21 Apr 2026, 13:56

Solana Faces Key Test: $90 Breakout or $73 Drop Next?

The price of Solana continues to hover near the $85 level, showing limited movement despite rising market attention. Current data places SOL at $85.34, with steady daily volume exceeding $3.2 billion . Although the asset posted a slight daily gain, it still reflects a minor weekly decline. This narrow movement highlights a market caught between accumulation and hesitation. Analysts note that price compression near key levels often precedes strong directional moves. Consequently, traders now focus on whether SOL can break out or slip lower. Consolidation Signals Build Around Key Levels Lucky observed that SOL remains locked in a tight band between $80 support and $86 resistance. This range defines the current structure and limits volatility. Besides, price continues to trade below major moving averages, which keeps broader pressure intact. However, holding above $80 prevents a deeper breakdown for now. Additionally, this sideways action suggests gradual accumulation rather than panic selling. Buyers appear active within this zone, absorbing supply. Hence, the longer SOL holds this range, the stronger the eventual breakout could become. A move above $86 would likely shift momentum upward quickly. Bullish Structure Emerges Despite Resistance BitGuru identified a shift from consolidation into a developing bullish structure. SOL formed higher lows after rebounding from the $78–$82 base. Consequently, the $84–$86 region now acts as a support zone. Moreover, the recent rejection near $90 confirms strong resistance overhead. Despite that, price stabilization below this level signals strength rather than weakness. Source: X Buyers continue to defend support levels effectively. As long as SOL holds above $84, the upward structure remains intact. A breakout above $90 could trigger a move toward $93 and beyond. However, failure to maintain support may push price back toward $80. Historical Patterns Suggest Larger Upside Potential Crypto Patel pointed to similarities between current price action and the December 2022 structure. SOL has returned to a major demand zone between $60 and $85. This region aligns with key Fibonacci retracement levels. Significantly, previous cycles showed strong reversals from this range. If history repeats, SOL could target higher resistance levels near $120 and $210. Moreover, extended bullish momentum may push price toward $250 over time. However, losing the $60 level would invalidate this outlook completely. Until then, market structure remains cautiously bullish with strong support holding.