The Naoris Protocol has gone live with its value-resistant blockchain mainnet, becoming the first Layer 1 network built entirely on post-value cryptography approved by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology – a milestone that comes as researchers narrow the timelines of a potential threat to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Summary
- Naoris Protocol launched its quantum-resistant mainnet on April 1, 2026, using post-quantum encryption standards approved by NIST finalized in August 2024.
- The testnet phase has processed more than 106 million post-quantum transactions and mitigated more than 603 million security threats, with more than 1 million security nodes operating worldwide.
- The NAORIS token has a market cap of approximately $36 million upon launch; the network is in the invite-only category for validating operators
“Mainnet represents the transition from proof of concept to production infrastructure. The network has already verified more than 100 million transactions using post-quantum cryptography. That’s not a street promise; it’s measurable, operational power,” said Nathaniel Szerezla, Chief Growth Officer of Naoris Protocol.
The mainnet works with the NIST ML-DSA algorithm – the standardized version of CRYSTALS-Dilithium, published as FIPS 204 – for all transaction signatures. The system uses an “irreversible security transition”: once the user has taken the post-quantum keys, the protocol automatically blocks any subsequent transaction attempts using classical cryptographic methods.
Quantum Insider has confirmed that the launch is specifically designed to accelerate regulatory pressure: A Google study published in late March 2026 estimates that breaking the Bitcoin elliptic curve cryptography will require less than 500,000 qubits – much less than previous estimates – while Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin 6 February 2020.
Why It’s Important to Be Timely
NIST finalized its post-quantum cryptographic standards by August 2024. The European Commission has mandated member states to start national post-quantum strategies by 2026, with full migration required by 2035. The White House National Cybersecurity Strategy in March 2026 accelerated the government’s adoption of post-quantum encryption.
Industry analysts have warned that around 4.5 million Bitcoins reside in addresses with exposed public keys, which could be at risk if quantum power reaches the required threshold. The CEO of Naoris Protocol first described this threat model in detail, warning that “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks have begun – meaning that encrypted data is collected today in anticipation of the ability to decrypt in the future.
What the Network Offers
Naoris works as a Sub-Zero Layer – an infrastructure placed under traditional L1 and L2 networks, designed to protect authenticators, wallets, exchanges, DeFi protocols, and different bridges. Users who ship goods to Naoris get quantum-proof security; The goods left in the old chains remain in the open.
“Assets moved to Naoris are more secure, while assets left in old chains are always vulnerable. The earlier users migrate, the smaller their window of exposure,” Szerezla told Decrypt. In September 2025, Naoris was cited in an SEC research submission as a reference model for the Post-Quantum Financial Infrastructure Framework (PQFIF).
