Why Dilithium Over RSA
RSA has secured the internet for decades. But quantum computers will break it. CRYSTALS-Dilithium is the NIST-standardized replacement — and DLT uses it from the start.
The Quantum Threat
RSA-2048 relies on one assumption: factoring large numbers is computationally infeasible. Classical computers would need billions of years. But a quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could do it in hours.
This isn't science fiction. IBM, Google, and nation-states are racing to build fault-tolerant quantum computers. Estimates place cryptographically-relevant quantum computers within 10 to 15 years.
Worse, adversaries are already running “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks — recording encrypted traffic today to break it when quantum hardware is ready. For a blockchain, where transaction signatures live on-chain permanently, this is an existential risk.
The bottom line
Every cryptocurrency using RSA or ECDSA signatures will need to migrate before quantum computers arrive — or risk total loss of funds. DLT is built quantum-safe from block zero.
RSA vs CRYSTALS-Dilithium
A head-to-head comparison of the signature schemes. Dilithium trades larger signatures for quantum resistance and faster key generation.
| Property | RSA-2048 | Dilithium Mode3 |
|---|---|---|
| Security Basis | Integer factorization | Lattice problems (Module-LWE) |
| Quantum Resistant | No — broken by Shor's algorithm | Yes — NIST PQC standard (2024) |
| Key Generation | ~150 ms (2048-bit) | ~0.1 ms (Mode3) |
| Sign Speed | ~1 ms | ~0.3 ms |
| Verify Speed | ~0.05 ms | ~0.1 ms |
| Signature Size | 256 bytes | 3,293 bytes |
| Public Key Size | 294 bytes | 1,952 bytes |
| Security Level | 112-bit classical | 192-bit quantum-safe (NIST Level 3) |
| Standardization | PKCS #1 (1998) | FIPS 204 (2024) |
The Road to Post-Quantum
Shor's Algorithm Published
Peter Shor proves that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer can factor large integers in polynomial time, theoretically breaking RSA.
NIST PQC Competition Begins
NIST launches a multi-year process to evaluate and standardize post-quantum cryptographic algorithms.
CRYSTALS-Dilithium Selected
After three rounds of evaluation, NIST selects CRYSTALS-Dilithium as the primary standard for digital signatures.
FIPS 204 Published
CRYSTALS-Dilithium is formally standardized as FIPS 204 (ML-DSA), ready for production deployment worldwide.
Dilithium Coin Launches
DLT launches with CRYSTALS-Dilithium Mode3 signatures from day one — quantum-safe before quantum computers arrive.
Why DLT Chose Dilithium Mode3
NIST Standardized
Not experimental. CRYSTALS-Dilithium is FIPS 204, the U.S. federal standard for post-quantum digital signatures. Vetted by the global cryptographic community over 8 years.
Faster Key Generation
Dilithium key generation is ~1,500x faster than RSA-2048. Wallet creation is instant instead of waiting for large prime generation.
NIST Level 3 Security
Mode3 provides 192-bit quantum-safe security — equivalent to AES-192 against quantum adversaries. This exceeds the security margin of RSA-2048 against classical attacks.
Battle-Tested Implementation
DLT uses the Cloudflare CIRCL library, a production-grade Go implementation of Dilithium with constant-time operations to prevent side-channel attacks.
Future-Proof by Default
Every transaction signature on the DLT blockchain is quantum-safe from genesis. No migration needed, no legacy signatures to worry about.
The Tradeoff
Dilithium signatures are larger (3.3 KB vs 256 bytes). For a blockchain with one-minute blocks, this is a non-issue — security is worth the extra bytes.
Ready for the Quantum Era?
Start mining DLT today. Every block you mine is secured by post-quantum cryptography.