QRL (Quantum Resistant Ledger) Launches Post-Quantum Smart Contract Testnet Ahead of 2.0 Mainnet

The Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) today launched QRL 2.0 Testnet V2, a public proof-of-stake Layer 1 blockchain network built on post-quantum cryptographic standards. The release introduces Hyperion, a post-quantum smart contract language derived from Solidity, and the Quantum Resistant Virtual Machine (QRVM), an EVM-friendly execution environment forked from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). The launch marks the final stage of a code freeze, with minimal breaking changes expected before the network’s 2.0 mainnet release.

QRL 2.0 supersedes QRL 1.x, the project’s original proof-of-work network, which did not support smart contracts. With Testnet V2 now live, developers can deploy smart contracts to the network.

https://www.theqrl.org/press/qrl-launches-testnet-v2-for-its-postquantum-evmfriendly-blockchain/

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QRL was heavily featured in Google's recent paper / blog post regarding quantum computers and blockchain, which you can read more about here if you haven't already:

https://research.google/blog/safeguarding-cryptocurrency-by-disclosing-quantum-vulnerabilities-responsibly/

https://quantumai.google/static/site-assets/downloads/cryptocurrency-whitepaper.pdf

A few blockchains have made progress in real-world deployment of PQC. In particular, the QRL launched in 2018 stands out as post-quantum from inception. Its original design was based on the stateful post-quantum signature scheme known as XMSS and it is currently adding support for the stateless post-quantum signature scheme called CRYSTALS-Dilithium and recently standardized by NIST under the name ML-DSA.