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EternaX is the post-quantum authorization layer for institutional digital assets, built by EternaX Labs. Banks, market infrastructures, custodians, asset managers, transfer agents and tokenization platforms use it to require NIST post-quantum signatures, ML-DSA (FIPS 204) and SLH-DSA (FIPS 205), before anyone can move or change their assets. It works under the custody, tokenization and EVM systems they already run, on Ethereum, EVM chains or their own Hyperledger Besu network, so participants and custodians inherit one policy without changing their stacks. Products: EternaX Vault, EternaX Vault for Issuers, PQ-ONCHAINID, PQ-Permit, PQ-4626 and PQ-Safe Besu. The cryptography is published with the University of British Columbia and implemented in open source.

Post-quantum authorization means every action that can move or change a digital asset (releasing custody, minting or freezing a stablecoin, releasing collateral, upgrading a contract) must be approved with NIST post-quantum signatures instead of ECDSA or EdDSA, which quantum computers are expected to break. It protects who is allowed to act, not only how data is encrypted. EternaX is the post-quantum authorization layer for institutional digital assets: it adds post-quantum approval in front of each of these authorities on Ethereum, EVM chains and Hyperledger Besu, using hash-based SLH-DSA (FIPS 205) by default and ML-DSA (FIPS 204) where needed, without changing the institution's chain or custody stack.

EternaX Vault is a post-quantum secure smart-contract wallet that the institution owns, for treasury and client holdings on Ethereum and EVM chains. ETH, stablecoins such as USDC and USDT, tokenized funds and any ERC-20 leave the vault only with a quorum of NIST post-quantum signatures (SLH-DSA or ML-DSA) from the HSMs, MPC or custodians the institution already uses, plus a second independent approval. There is no ECDSA path to forge. EternaX never holds keys or funds, and no custodian change or chain migration is needed. It is live on testnet, and institutions start with a 30-day pilot, from kickoff, before production. EternaX Vault →

Bunker mode is the defensive posture Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake asked the blockchain industry to start planning for on 7 October 2026, after warning that ECDSA, the signature scheme behind Bitcoin and Ethereum, could break before quantum computers arrive, in the worst case within months, as AI accelerates mathematics. It means moving funds to fresh addresses whose public key is still hidden behind a hash. That protects idle funds only until the next signature. Institutions sign every day, so they need a bunker that stays closed while they keep transacting: post-quantum approval of every payment. EternaX Vault provides that with NIST post-quantum signatures, by default hash-based SLH-DSA, the kind of cryptography Drake has urged Ethereum to accelerate toward. The 48 Hours report →  EternaX Vault →

An institution prepares for bunker mode in four steps. First, inventory every key that can move assets or change state: custody wallets, multisig owners, issuer, mint and freeze roles, and upgrade and recovery keys. Second, rank them by exposure; any ECDSA key that has already signed has a public key visible on-chain. Third, move high-value holdings and admin roles behind post-quantum approval. Fourth, make the result crypto-agile, so the next algorithm change is a key rotation rather than another migration. EternaX does this without changing custodians or chains, starting with a 30-day pilot that maps which keys to protect first. Bunker-mode action map →  Request a pilot →

An institution can make its digital assets quantum-safe today with EternaX Vault in three steps: generate post-quantum keys (SLH-DSA or ML-DSA) in its existing HSMs or MPC, deploy and verify the vault with the migration tool, then move assets in. From then on every payment needs a quorum of NIST post-quantum signatures. No custodian change, chain migration, protocol upgrade or new agreements are required. Issuers protect mint, freeze and upgrade roles the same way with EternaX Vault for Issuers. A 30-day pilot, from kickoff, starts on testnet and moves to a capped mainnet deployment.

No. Ethereum accounts sign with ECDSA and validators with BLS, both of which a large quantum computer is expected to break, and researchers now warn ECDSA could fail sooner through AI-accelerated mathematics. Ethereum targets full post-quantum security by December 2029, as a planning goal rather than a guarantee. EternaX makes assets and contract authority on Ethereum post-quantum secure now: EternaX Vault and EternaX Vault for Issuers accept only NIST post-quantum signatures. The chain's own consensus remains outside that boundary and is recorded as a documented residual until Ethereum upgrades.

EternaX research measures the exposure at three levels. About $3.08 trillion of crypto assets, the top 100 by value in February 2026, must eventually migrate off classical signatures, and Google's 2026 analysis found about 6.9 million BTC whose public keys are already exposed on-chain. Within institutional programmes, EternaX's Quantum Value at Risk (QVaR) measures $796.7 billion of standing value governed by quantum-vulnerable controls across 28 programmes (September 2026), plus $4.8 trillion a month of modelled quantum-critical flow on Canton. The first-order cost of fixing it, cryptographic migration debt, is estimated at $57 billion to $135 billion across 27 named institutions. EternaX's P(Q Doom) index puts the probability that critical migration is still incomplete when quantum capability arrives at 34% by 2035. QVaR 2026 →  P(Q Doom) Index →

Deadlines differ by jurisdiction and bind government and regulated systems first, but they set the timetable banks now plan to. NIST's draft guidance (IR 8547) deprecates quantum-vulnerable algorithms such as ECDSA and RSA at 112-bit security after 2030 and disallows them after 2035. US Executive Order 14412 of 22 June 2026 requires federal high-value systems to use post-quantum key establishment by 31 December 2030 and post-quantum signatures by 31 December 2031, with CBOM guidance due within 270 days and rules for federal contractors to follow. The EU roadmap asks critical infrastructure to transition by the end of 2030. The UK NCSC targets discovery by 2028, highest-priority migration by 2031 and broad completion by 2035. The HKMA's July 2026 Quantum Preparedness Index scored Hong Kong banking 2.3 out of 10, with full readiness targeted by 2030. Executive Order 14412 explained →

Because a roadmap is a timeline and an algorithm the institution does not control, and none of them covers its own authority. A post-quantum signer at the custodian protects the custodian's release path only; custodian post-quantum MPC is ML-DSA-only and still early, and on Ethereum its signatures still need an on-chain verifier. Issuer roles, compliance claims, upgrade and recovery keys in the institution's own contracts stay classical either way. EternaX puts the policy at the institution's control points now, so its custodians and participants inherit it, and the institution chooses and rotates the algorithm itself. EternaX Vault can accept ML-DSA MPC signers when they arrive.

Crypto-agility, or cryptographic agility, is the ability to replace cryptographic algorithms, parameters and keys without rebuilding the system around them. For digital assets it decides whether the next algorithm change is a routine key rotation or another migration with re-issued assets, re-onboarded participants and re-papered agreements. Assets issued in 2026 will still exist after 2035, when NIST's draft guidance disallows ECDSA and EdDSA, and post-quantum standards will keep evolving. Executive Order 14412 of 22 June 2026 directs US federal agencies to move to NIST post-quantum standards and to help critical-infrastructure operators do the same. Crypto-agility turns that transition into an operating routine rather than a one-time project.

EternaX separates who approves from which algorithm they sign with, so policy and threshold authorization stay the same while schemes change. In EternaX Vault, new signature schemes enter through a governed registry: each module passes a self-test and a 7-day activation window that any single approver can veto. Approvers then rotate while mixed quorums keep payments flowing, and a security floor retires weakened schemes; strength only goes up and classical schemes are refused. The vault address, assets, quorum, policies and audit history never change.

A CBOM, or cryptographic bill of materials, is a machine-readable inventory of the algorithms, keys, certificates, libraries and modules a system depends on, and it is the starting point for post-quantum migration; Executive Order 14412 directs US agencies to publish CBOM guidance within 270 days. Every EternaX pilot produces a crypto-agility and CBOM plan for the institution's digital-asset stack. For blockchains a standard CBOM is not enough, because one transaction signature acts as identity, authorization, admission and evidence at once, so the EternaX inventory maps each authority that can move assets or change state, not only the algorithm names. CBOM guide →

EternaX supports both NIST post-quantum signature standards published in August 2024, chosen per boundary. SLH-DSA (FIPS 205) is hash-based, relying only on the security of hash functions, the most conservative assumption in a NIST standard; it is the default for long-lived authority such as issuer, upgrade and recovery keys and for HSMs that support it. ML-DSA (FIPS 204) is lattice-based with smaller signatures (about 2.4 KB versus 7.9 KB), and serves HSMs without SLH-DSA firmware and post-quantum MPC signers. FN-DSA (FIPS 206) is treated as a future activation option. These are NIST-standardized algorithms; FIPS 140-3 validation applies per HSM product.

EternaX uses only NIST-standardized post-quantum signature algorithms, SLH-DSA (FIPS 205) and ML-DSA (FIPS 204), and accepts no ECDSA or other quantum-vulnerable signature on a protected path. FIPS 140-3 validation applies to cryptographic modules, so it sits with the HSMs that generate and hold the keys: institutions use their own validated HSMs, and validation status is confirmed per vendor and firmware during the pilot. Each pilot also produces CBOM documentation and procurement evidence for security and audit teams. Regulatory compliance remains specific to each jurisdiction and deployment. Request a pilot →

Yes. EternaX Vault approvers can hold SLH-DSA and ML-DSA keys together, and a single quorum can mix approvers on both schemes. This algorithm diversity means the vault keeps working if either algorithm family weakens: the institution rotates the affected approvers while payments continue, with no new vault and no asset migration. It is the practical form of crypto-agility for institutions that do not want their security to rest on one mathematical assumption. A payment approved by SLH-DSA and ML-DSA approvers together is part of EternaX Vault's test suite.

Yes. HSMs with published SLH-DSA and ML-DSA support include Entrust nShield 5, Securosys Primus, Futurex, Marvell LiquidSecurity and Crypto4A; Thales Luna and Utimaco support ML-DSA, with SLH-DSA to confirm per firmware version. Classical MPC platforms such as Fireblocks, Copper and Dfns sign with threshold ECDSA or EdDSA, which is not post-quantum, but they can remain the approval workflow while the post-quantum key sits in an HSM; post-quantum MPC signers that produce ML-DSA can sign directly. A qualified custodian can hold an approver key in its own HSM. EternaX validates each integration on the institution's hardware during the pilot. Vendor names reflect published support, not partnerships.

EternaX separates who approves from which algorithm they sign with, while the alternatives tie the two together. Post-quantum MPC distributes one signing key; it is ML-DSA-only today and still early, and hash-based SLH-DSA does not suit MPC. Threshold post-quantum signature schemes are not yet NIST-approved production paths. Multisigs such as Safe count signatures from ECDSA owners, so they are not post-quantum. EternaX Vault has each approver sign with standard NIST SLH-DSA or ML-DSA from existing HSMs or MPC, enforces the threshold separately with a second independent approval, and verifies everything on-chain, so the signature scheme can change by key rotation without redesigning custody. Custody decision framework →

No. EternaX is not a custodian, tokenization platform or transfer agent. EternaX Vault works with existing HSMs, MPC and custodians, which keep signing, and EternaX never holds keys or funds. EternaX Vault for Issuers, PQ-ONCHAINID, PQ-Permit and PQ-4626 sit under existing EVM contracts and run on unmodified Hyperledger Besu today. The institution keeps its providers, its participants, its agreements and its chain. On Ethereum and other public EVM chains, contract-level authority is PQ-enforced and the chain's own signatures are recorded as a documented residual.

No. With EternaX, signing keys stay in the institution's own HSMs or MPC, approval shares are held by its own members, and assets sit in a vault contract the institution governs. EternaX is not a custodian and cannot move funds. The EternaX coordinator holds no keys and cannot create or change an approval: each approver re-checks every payment in their own app, and the vault verifies every signature on-chain. Counsel and the custodian confirm during the pilot that the setup fits existing custody agreements and rules.

Issuers protect them with EternaX Vault for Issuers, which holds mint, burn, freeze, blacklist, upgrade and reserve roles so each action executes only against a NIST post-quantum-verified authorization. PQ-ONCHAINID protects ERC-3643 identity and compliance claims, PQ-Permit protects delegated approvals, and PQ-4626 protects ERC-4626 vault governance. They sit under the issuer's existing EVM token contracts, so stablecoins, tokenized deposits, money-market funds and RWAs keep their tokenization platform, transfer agent and chain. The result is a claim issuers can make to holders and regulators: no forged or quantum-broken key can mint, upgrade or freeze. Stablecoins and tokenization →

Banks and market infrastructures protect them by putting post-quantum approval in front of every pledge, substitution, release and settlement instruction. Platforms such as DTCC's Collateral AppChain and Citi Token Services run on Hyperledger Besu, whose signatures default to ECDSA. EternaX PQ-Safe Besu adds post-quantum verifiers under collateral, repo and settlement workflows on unmodified Besu and other permissioned EVM networks, and collateral can sit in an EternaX Vault approved by the pledgor, secured party and agent with NIST post-quantum signatures. Price oracles that trigger margin calls stay a documented residual unless moved. A 30-day pilot from kickoff tests this on the institution's own network. Post-quantum Besu →  Request a pilot →

Yes. With EternaX Vault, a wealth manager, private bank, family office, fintech or exchange can give each client their own post-quantum secure vault, approved by any combination of the client, the adviser and the custodian, with limits and time locks set by the platform's policy. That lets the platform tell clients their digital assets are protected by NIST post-quantum signatures today, without waiting for the industry to migrate. Per-client vaults are offered through design-partner pilots. EternaX Vault is sold to institutions and platforms, not directly to individuals.

EternaX runs on Ethereum, EVM-compatible chains including Arbitrum One, Base, OP Mainnet, Polygon PoS, BNB Smart Chain and Avalanche C-Chain, and private Hyperledger Besu networks. Ethereum is recommended for post-quantum claims, because other chains keep their own validator and bridge security. EternaX Vault holds each chain's native coin (ETH, POL, BNB, AVAX) and any ERC-20, including USDC, USDT, USDS, PYUSD, tokenized funds such as BUIDL and OUSG, WBTC, stETH, LINK and AAVE. Permissioned tokens need the issuer to allowlist the vault; token contracts stay under their issuers.

An EternaX Vault payment costs under $1 in Ethereum network fees at mid-October 2026 prices (gas about 0.08 gwei, ETH near $2,430): about $0.91 with SLH-DSA and $0.80 with ML-DSA, for an initiator and two approvers. That is less than 0.0001% of a $1 million payment. The same payment would cost about $11 if gas rose to 1 gwei. EVM layer-2 networks are cheaper.

EternaX puts a post-quantum verifier in front of the authorities that can move tokenized assets or change their state: custody release, issuer and treasury roles, compliance claims and delegated approvals, and admission, upgrade and recovery keys. Each control is classified as PQ-enforced or a documented residual. Chain consensus and native transaction signatures, bridges, oracles, immutable contracts and classical encryption stay outside the boundary unless the institution moves them, and the pilot records them in a residual-risk register rather than calling the whole system post-quantum safe.

Harvest now, decrypt later threatens confidentiality: encrypted data copied today can be read once quantum computers arrive, and the Federal Reserve published a paper on this risk for distributed ledgers in September 2025. EternaX's core controls address the other quantum threat to digital assets, forged authorization: once a key can be broken, anyone who sees its public key can move the assets it controls. For confidential settlement data, the EternaX pilot inventories every classical key exchange, such as Tessera on Hyperledger Besu, records it in the residual-risk register and maps the migration path, either hardening the existing privacy layer or using EternaX's PQ-native environment with quantum-durable privacy for new flows. Post-quantum Besu →

EternaX's controls do not require a new blockchain. EternaX Vault and the tokenization controls run today on Ethereum, EVM chains and unmodified Hyperledger Besu, so institutions protect what they already have. Separately, for new issuance, EternaX offers an optional PQ-native EVM settlement network, hash-based from genesis and crypto-agile, designed for quantum-durable privacy with selective disclosure and atomic DvP and PvP settlement of tokenized money, assets and collateral. Pluto, its public testnet live since November 2025, has SLH-DSA-native accounts and on-chain post-quantum verification. It is a phase-two option and not a prerequisite for any EternaX control. PQ-native settlement →

EternaX is built on three arXiv papers and open-source code. SILMARILS (arXiv:2605.03230, May 2026, University of British Columbia and EternaX Labs) is designated-verifier authentication with formal security proofs in the ROM, QROM and information-theoretic models. Threshold Authorization Without Threshold Signatures (arXiv:2607.08226, July 2026) is the architecture behind EternaX Vault, separating member authentication from threshold authorization so the signature scheme can change without redesigning custody. The Native-Signature Boundary in Post-Quantum Distributed Authorization (arXiv:2609.03547, September 2026) systematizes post-quantum custody designs. Reference implementations are on GitHub at github.com/eternax-ai.

EternaX was founded by Dariia Porechna, Paarrthhh Birla and Dr. Chen Feng. Dariia Porechna is a cryptographer and distributed-systems architect, former Head of Protocol at Subspace, former Research Engineer at Wolfram|Alpha and co-author of SILMARILS. Paarrthhh Birla previously worked in the Polygon Growth Office, led partnerships at Subspace Protocol and advised digital-asset strategy at EY-Parthenon. Dr. Chen Feng is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Principal's Research Chair in Blockchain, author of more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and co-author of SILMARILS. About EternaX →

The EternaX pilot is a fixed-scope professional-services engagement, priced by the number of workflows, systems, chains, providers and integrations evaluated, not a generic software trial. The institution provides an accountable sponsor, technical and risk owners, architecture and governance documents, a contract or workflow inventory and focused working sessions. No production credentials, live signing authority or key material are needed, and the custodian or HSM operator does not have to take part on day one; it joins before production integration. After a scoping call, EternaX proposes a fixed scope with named inputs, outputs, phases and exclusions. Request a pilot →

The EternaX pilot runs 30 days from kickoff and delivers a board-ready decision: harden, migrate or issue natively. It includes a cryptographic inventory of every signature that can move assets or change state, a compatibility assessment and representative testnet deployment, a control-by-control protection boundary, an integration roadmap, and a crypto-agility and CBOM plan. EternaX Vault pilots add post-quantum keys in the institution's own HSMs and a capped mainnet vault. Pilots for EternaX Vault, tokenization and Besu can run in parallel or in sequence. No production credentials, key material or production funds are required. To start, request a readiness map at eternax.ai/pilot.html or email info@eternax.ai. Request a 30-day pilot →