Nervos Network CKB

Claim: CKB has published documentation identifying critical public-key mechanisms (secp256k1 default, SPHINCS+ optional) and a quantum threat model covering Shor's algorithm impact on ECC, harvest-now-decrypt-later, and architectural mitigations.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage assessment

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: Official documentation comprehensively inventories cryptographic mechanisms and discusses quantum threat model. CKB is not PQ-native; the classical inventory is complete.

Documentation is thorough and primary-source verifiable.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs/blob/master/rfcs/0002-ckb/0002-ckb.md
• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ecosystem-scripts/secp256k1_blake160_sighash_all

Claim: Code references, specifications (RFCs), on-chain deployment transactions, audit reports, and performance benchmarks are publicly available.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage evidence

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: Primary sources (GitHub, official docs, RFCs) provide strong evidence. ScaleBit audit covers QR lock script. Least Authority audit (2019) is stale for quantum scope but provides historical assurance context.

Mainnet deployment code_hash and deployment transaction are publicly verifiable.

• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/quantum-resistant-lock-script
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs
• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance
• https://leastauthority.com/static/publications/LeastAuthority-Nervos-Network-Audit-Report.pdf

Claim: Default spend authorization uses secp256k1 (ECC). Optional SPHINCS+ (NIST FIPS 205) lock script deployed on mainnet in 2025 with verifiable code_hash.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 0.75 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: quantum-critical vulnerability · Score treatment: score-reducing

Quantum blocker: Default secp256k1 spend authorization is ECC-only and quantum-vulnerable. SPHINCS+ is optional, not default or mandatory.

Assurance: ScaleBit audit covers SPHINCS+ implementation. Default secp256k1 use is confirmed by official documentation.

0.75 reflects optional mainnet PQ support that is not default, mandatory, or complete by design.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ecosystem-scripts/secp256k1_blake160_sighash_all
• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/quantum-resistant-lock-script

Claim: Default CKB address uses blake160 hash of secp256k1 public key (P2PKH-style). Public key is only revealed on spend (short-exposure). SPHINCS+ addresses use different lock script with separate code_hash. No controls prevent creation of classical addresses.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 0.75 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: quantum-critical vulnerability · Score treatment: cap-applying

Quantum blocker: Users can still create new quantum-vulnerable high-value accounts by default.

Assurance: Address format and key-derivation design are well-documented. blake160 hash provides partial long-exposure protection but address reuse creates long-exposure risk.

0.75 reflects partial protection: hash-based addresses prevent long-exposure for first-use addresses, but classical paths remain fully available.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-fundamentals/ckb-address
• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ecosystem-scripts/secp256k1_blake160_sighash_all

Claim: CKB uses NC-MAX PoW consensus with Eaglesong hash function. No validator signatures, BLS threshold signatures, VRFs, or finality signatures exist in consensus.

Coverage basis: complete-by-design native coverage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: Eaglesong is a custom hash function but hash-based; quantum risk is limited to Grover's algorithm.

N/A for validator-auth subfactor as PoW chain with no validator-signature dependency.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/basics/concepts/consensus
• https://leastauthority.com/static/publications/LeastAuthority-Nervos-Network-Audit-Report.pdf

Claim: CKB uses Blake2b hash for content-addressable storage (Cell model), Merkle trees, and state commitments. No KZG/pairing-based commitments, no quantum-vulnerable accumulators.

Coverage basis: complete-by-design native coverage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: Least Authority audit (2019) covered core state-integrity design.

Application-layer proof systems deployed on CKB are not evaluated here.

• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs/blob/master/rfcs/0002-ckb/0002-ckb.md
• https://leastauthority.com/static/publications/LeastAuthority-Nervos-Network-Audit-Report.pdf

Claim: CKB base protocol has no native shielded pools, ZK proof systems, or privacy-preserving transaction mechanisms.

Coverage basis: complete-by-design native coverage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Privacy-specific subfactors are not applicable.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/basics/concepts/consensus
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs/blob/master/rfcs/0002-ckb/0002-ckb.md

Claim: CKB uses Tentacle P2P framework with Secio for encrypted communication. Secio handshake uses ECDH (P-256) for key exchange and secp256k1 ECDSA for node identity signatures.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 0 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: quantum-critical vulnerability · Score treatment: score-reducing

Quantum blocker: P2P Secio uses ECDH (P-256) and secp256k1 ECDSA, both quantum-vulnerable.

Assurance: Secio protocol is documented in Cryptape blog and verified by independent re-implementation. No evidence of PQ support in the networking stack.

P2P is applicable, not satisfied by design, because asset-spending authorization is not universally PQ-signed.

• https://blog.cryptape.com/tentacle-the-network-layer-of-ckb
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/tentacle/blob/master/docs/introduction_en.md

Claim: Quantum Purse community desktop wallet supports SPHINCS+ for Linux/Mac/Windows. No evidence of major exchange, institutional custodian, or hardware wallet support for SPHINCS+ lock scripts.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 0.25 · Evidence confidence: Medium

Issue classification: operational/product caveat · Score treatment: score-reducing

Assurance: Quantum Purse is community-developed, not officially maintained by Nervos Foundation. No evidence of exchange/custody SPHINCS+ support.

0.25 reflects existence of one community wallet with PQ support but no institutional or major wallet coverage.

• https://chainwire.org/2026/02/02/nervos-ckb-adapts-with-post-quantum-protection-via-sphincs/
• https://www.quantumpurse.org/

Claim: SPHINCS+ lock script is available on mainnet but adoption is strictly opt-in. No public data on migration percentage. Default remains secp256k1 for the vast majority of CKB value.

Coverage basis: migrated value

Implementation score: 0.05 · Evidence confidence: Low

Issue classification: quantum-critical uncertainty · Score treatment: score-reducing

Quantum blocker: Migration coverage is unmeasurable and almost certainly <25%.

Assurance: Confidence is Low because migration coverage cannot be measured from public data. The <25% estimate is inferred from the opt-in nature, absence of enforcement, recent deployment (2025), and lack of any public migration statistics.

Score of 0.05 corresponds to <25% coverage threshold.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance

Claim: No evidence that foundation treasury, exchanges, custodians, or major protocol-controlled wallets have migrated to SPHINCS+ lock scripts.

Coverage basis: migrated value

Implementation score: 0 · Evidence confidence: Low

Issue classification: quantum-critical uncertainty · Score treatment: score-reducing

Quantum blocker: No evidence of any critical wallet having migrated to SPHINCS+ lock scripts.

Assurance: Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, but no public statements, on-chain evidence, or exchange announcements confirm SPHINCS+ adoption by any critical wallet.

Exchange listings use standard CKB addresses with no indication of SPHINCS+ support.

Claim: No public identification, measurement, deprecation, freeze, or burn mechanism exists for classical secp256k1 accounts. Users can freely create and use secp256k1 lock scripts indefinitely.

Coverage basis: migrated value

Implementation score: 0 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: quantum-critical vulnerability · Score treatment: score-reducing

Quantum blocker: No deprecation, freeze, burn, or enforced-migration mechanism exists for classical secp256k1 accounts.

Assurance: Official documentation explicitly states that 'old addresses continue to function' and 'the upgrade is permissionless and can occur gradually.'

The crypto-agnostic design that enables permissionless PQ adoption also makes deprecation of classical accounts architecturally challenging.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ecosystem-scripts/secp256k1_blake160_sighash_all
• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance

Claim: Documentation describes a three-step migration path (deploy → adopt → migrate) but no formal roadmap with sequencing, activation criteria, deadlines, or governance approvals exists.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage roadmap

Implementation score: 0.5 · Evidence confidence: Medium

Issue classification: operational/product caveat · Score treatment: score-reducing

Assurance: Migration approach is conceptually documented but lacks formal sequencing, activation criteria, deadlines, or governance process.

0.50 reflects a documented conceptual approach with mainnet deployment completed.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance

Claim: SPHINCS+ lock script is deployed on mainnet. Quantum Purse desktop wallet (community) supports SPHINCS+. Default account creation still uses secp256k1. No migration prompts or warnings.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage tooling

Implementation score: 0.25 · Evidence confidence: Medium

Issue classification: operational/product caveat · Score treatment: score-reducing

Assurance: PQ tooling exists but is not default, not integrated into standard wallets, and lacks migration prompts or warnings.

0.25 reflects existence of basic PQ tooling but no default, preferred, or prompted PQ path for users.

• https://chainwire.org/2026/02/02/nervos-ckb-adapts-with-post-quantum-protection-via-sphincs/
• https://www.quantumpurse.org/
• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance

Claim: No enforcement mechanisms, deprecation, freeze, disabled legacy signing, restricted withdrawals, unsafe-path blocking, or mandatory migration deadlines exist.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage enforcement

Implementation score: 0 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: quantum-critical vulnerability · Score treatment: score-reducing

Quantum blocker: Zero enforcement or coordination mechanisms exist.

Assurance: Official docs confirm that 'old addresses continue to function' and migration is 'permissionless and can occur gradually over time.'

The crypto-agnostic design philosophy makes protocol-level enforcement architecturally difficult.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance

Claim: No evidence of a formal quantum-specific incident-response process, vulnerability disclosure framework, or governance mechanism for quantum-related emergencies.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage governance

Implementation score: 0 · Evidence confidence: Low

Issue classification: operational/product caveat · Score treatment: score-reducing

Assurance: No quantum-specific IR process found in public documentation. This is an operational gap; it does not independently create a quantum-attack path.

Score reflects absence of quantum-specific governance/IR.

Claim: SPHINCS+ is NIST FIPS 205 standardized (August 2024). Eaglesong for PoW is a custom hash function but hash-based.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: SPHINCS+ is fully NIST-standardized (FIPS 205). Eaglesong is not NIST-standardized but is hash-based.

Full credit for NIST-standardized SPHINCS+.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/quantum-resistant-lock-script

Claim: ScaleBit audited the SPHINCS+ lock script implementation. Least Authority audited core CKB protocol (2019) including Eaglesong and secp256k1 usage.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: Medium

Issue classification: assurance-only caveat · Score treatment: confidence-only

Assurance: ScaleBit audit covers the SPHINCS+ lock script (quantum-critical scope). Least Authority audit (2019) is stale but covers core architecture. The mixed audit freshness caps confidence at Medium.

1.0 reflects that an independent audit exists for the quantum-critical scope.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance
• https://leastauthority.com/static/publications/LeastAuthority-Nervos-Network-Audit-Report.pdf
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/quantum-resistant-lock-script

Claim: SPHINCS+ lock script is fully open-source (MIT license) with C, Rust, and hybrid implementations on GitHub. Mainnet deployment parameters are publicly verifiable.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: Multiple implementations with published mainnet deployment parameters enable independent verification.

• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/quantum-resistant-lock-script
• https://github.com/cryptape/quantum-resistant-lock-script

Claim: SPHINCS+ lock script supports all 12 NIST FIPS 205 parameter sets. CKB-VM crypto-agnostic design allows deployment of new PQ algorithms without hard forks.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: 12 parameter sets provide strong parameter agility. CKB-VM architecture natively supports future algorithm transitions.

Full credit: SPHINCS+ parameter agility is built-in.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/quantum-resistant-lock-script
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/rfcs/blob/master/rfcs/0002-ckb/0002-ckb.md

Claim: SPHINCS+ is a stateless signature scheme, eliminating state-management risks. No formal side-channel analysis or fault-injection assessment has been published.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 0.5 · Evidence confidence: Medium

Issue classification: assurance-only caveat · Score treatment: confidence-only

Assurance: SPHINCS+ stateless design inherently avoids state-reuse vulnerabilities. No published side-channel or fault-injection analysis exists for the CKB-VM implementation.

0.50 reflects the stateless-design safety benefit but lack of formal side-channel evaluation.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance

Claim: Published cycle-consumption benchmarks for all 12 SPHINCS+ parameter sets across C, Rust, and hybrid implementations. Signature size analysis and Witness-based storage mitigation documented.

Coverage basis: PQ/hybrid usage

Implementation score: 1 · Evidence confidence: High

Issue classification: none · Score treatment: not applicable

Assurance: Detailed benchmarks published for all parameter sets and implementations.

Full credit: comprehensive performance data enables informed parameter selection.

• https://docs.nervos.org/docs/ckb-features/native-quantum-resistance
• https://github.com/nervosnetwork/quantum-resistant-lock-script