Sui Research has announced a major upgrade path that allows wallets to become resistant to future quantum threats, without changing addresses, re-signing transactions, or moving any funds. This update only works on blockchains using EdDSA, such as Sui, Solana, Near, and Cosmos.
The solution is based on how keys are derived using seeds, and could protect millions of inactive or long-term accounts. This breakthrough offers a way forward without forcing users to take action, making it a rare example of forward security with full backwards compatibility.
What Are EdDSA Chains?
EdDSA, short for Edwards-curve Digital Signature Algorithm, is used by modern blockchains like Sui to handle account authentication. In EdDSA chains, private keys are not created randomly.
Instead, they are derived from a single cryptographic seed using a deterministic process. This seed is never used directly in transactions, and it stays hidden even when a wallet sends funds or signs data.
That hidden seed becomes the foundation for long-term security. If a user still knows the seed, they can later prove they own the wallet, even years later, without touching the wallet again.
This is not possible in blockchains where the key was created using randomness, with no way to retrace or prove ownership securely in the future.
EdDSA chains also tend to follow standards like RFC 8032 and SLIP-0010, which structure this key derivation process clearly.
This makes them uniquely suited for post-quantum migration, since the cryptographic path from the seed to the wallet address can be recreated and proven without exposure. In simple terms, these chains are designed in a way that makes secure upgrades much easier to apply.
How Does the Upgrade Work?
The method developed by Sui Research involves proving that you know the seed used to generate your wallet.
Instead of signing a message again or creating a new address, you generate a zero-knowledge proof that says: “I still control this wallet, and I want to switch to a quantum-safe method.”
This proof does not expose the seed, the private key, or any on-chain data. It simply shows that the user still has access to the seed, and that is enough to authorise a new, quantum-safe signature method like Dilithium or Ziggy.
Once this is done, all future signatures from the same address can be made secure, even if the wallet remains inactive.
The process works even for wallets that are dormant, lost, or stored offline. It also supports institutional accounts and multisig treasuries, where re-signing or migrating keys might not be possible.
If the wallet was created using a BIP39 mnemonic phrase, the seed can be recovered and used in the same way.
This makes the upgrade path suitable for a wide range of use cases, from personal wallets to long-term institutional storage.
The key requirement is that the chain must use EdDSA with structured key derivation. That is what enables the proof and the upgrade, without any interaction from the wallet itself.
What Can This Be Used For?
This upgrade method has direct practical applications:
- Protecting cold storage: Long-term wallets held offline can be upgraded without ever going online, as long as the seed is known.
- Migrating multisig treasuries: Large institutional wallets with multiple signers can be upgraded using a single proof, without rewriting contracts or changing addresses.
- Securing lost or inactive wallets: Wallets that have not been used in years, or whose owners are unavailable, can still be protected if the seed was backed up.
- Avoiding key rotation: Wallets do not need to rotate to new addresses. The original address remains valid and protected, which is critical for smart contracts and on-chain identity systems.
This method avoids the need for disruptive changes. It does not rely on forks, does not require changes to the network, and does not expose users to risk during the transition. It simply proves that a user still controls the seed and applies a new, quantum-safe verification layer on top.
Conclusion
The upgrade path revealed by Sui Research gives EdDSA-based blockchains a powerful advantage in preparing for quantum threats.
By using structured key derivation and zero-knowledge proofs, these chains can upgrade their wallets without breaking compatibility, moving funds, or altering addresses.
This method is not just future-ready. It is also backwards-compatible, covering even inactive or lost accounts.
For users and developers building on Sui, this means long-term safety is possible without disruption. It’s a rare case where a better cryptographic structure offers a simple, effective solution to a complex problem.
Chains that rely on EdDSA and seed-based key generation now have a clear and elegant way to secure their users, not just for today, but for decades to come.