Consortium launches cross-regional pilot on post-quantum security with participation from banks and regulatory stakeholders

BitcoinWorld Consortium launches cross-regional pilot on post-quantum security with participation from banks and regulatory stakeholders Convened by the Responsible Fintech Institute with Safeheron as technology partner, to evaluate and eventually open-source quantum-resilient infrastructure for wallet generation and digital asset transfers in a regulated, cross-jurisdiction setting. SINGAPORE, Aug. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – The Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) and Safeheron have launched a pilot initiative to evaluate post-quantum cryptography for digital asset transactions, with participation from selected financial institutions and regulatory stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions. The initiative is designed to move quantum-safe financial infrastructure from concept into practical testing with participating institutions. The pilot will focus on a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) research program built around a multi-party computation (MPC) protocol that supports ML-DSA-65, the NIST FIPS 204 digital signature standard, with participant testing covering wallet generation and on-chain transfer activity on the quantum-resistant NEAR testnet. The initiative brings together banks and regulators from multiple jurisdictions to examine cross-border interoperability, operational resilience and governance considerations in parallel with technical evaluation. “No single bank, vendor, or regulator solves this alone,” said Chia Hock Lai, Chairman of the Responsible Fintech Institute. “By bringing policymakers and financial institutions across jurisdictions together to test the same post-quantum architecture, and transparently sharing that research with every participant, we are building a compliance and security reference the whole industry can stand on – and a standard we all helped write.” “AI is accelerating the pace of change and likely bringing the quantum threat closer to reality – quantum-ready infrastructure has never been more critical, and the time to act is now,” said Jag Foo, Chief Security & Policy Officer at Safeheron. “By integrating NIST’s post-quantum signature standard with advanced MPC technology, we are building the architecture required to secure the next generation of financial networks. Safeheron has long advocated for open-source cryptography, because accountability and good governance demand it. We intend to open-source our PQC code. Cryptography securing institutional assets should stand up to independent scrutiny, not ask for trust.” “As the financial sector prepares for future cybersecurity challenges, initiatives that encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing among industry participants are increasingly important,” said António Henriques, CEO of Bison Bank. “We are pleased to support discussions around post-quantum security and to contribute to broader industry understanding of how financial institutions can prepare for the evolving risk landscape.” “We welcome the industry’s initiative to identify a reliable protocol that safeguards digital asset transactions,” said David Peters, Managing Director of the Gelephu Financial Services Office.