Solana Faces 90% Speed Drop in Quest for Quantum Security, Testing Scalability Limits
April 5, 2026
Analyst Crypto Patel says Solana’s price rally prospects hinge on managing the 90% speed trade-off while preserving scalability.
Disclaimer: standard investment warning accompanying the report.
Solana faces a difficult balance between boosting security against quantum threats and preserving its famously high-speed network, creating a central design dilemma for the platform.
The tests are designed to assess both functional viability and scaling issues when replacing current cryptography with post-quantum systems.
CoinDesk reported these findings, citing Uk Jin as the source for the information.
The broader context notes that major players like Google and academic researchers have signaled looming quantum threats, fueling post-quantum cryptography discussions across networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Early tests suggest a potential 90% drop in transaction speed to achieve quantum resistance, highlighting a major scalability trade-off.
SOL trades near $80 and has fallen about 35% year-to-date, reflecting bearish momentum despite continued usage and upcoming upgrades.
Solana has historically processed far more transactions than Ethereum, underscoring its high-throughput advantage though the upcoming security upgrades threaten this edge.
Solana Foundation began testing quantum-resistant signature systems with Project Eleven, with initial post-quantum signatures already deployed on a Solana testnet as part of preparation for quantum risks.
A key structural risk is that wallet addresses derive from public keys, potentially expanding the surface area for quantum attacks to target private keys.
Early results show post-quantum security increases data sizes by 20 to 40 times and reduces processing speeds by roughly 90%, with signatures themselves 20 to 40 times larger than current ones, significantly impacting network capacity.
Summary based on 3 sources
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Sources

CryptoNews • Apr 5, 2026
Quantum-Resistant Transaction Tests Have Begun on Solana: But There’s a Major Problem
ZyCrypto • Apr 5, 2026
Solana Explores Quantum Resistance, But Risks Steep 90% Drop in Scalability