ChipmunkRing: A Practical Post-Quantum Ring Signature Scheme for Blockchain Applications

TL;DR

ChipmunkRing delivers a practical post-quantum ring signature for blockchain by integrating Chipmunk-based lattice signatures with Acorn Verification, a hash-based zero-knowledge layer that replaces Fiat-Shamir. It achieves $112$-bit post-quantum security with signatures in the range $20.5$–$279.7$ KB and fast signing/verification times ($1.1$–$15.1$ ms signing, $0.4$–$4.5$ ms verification) for rings of 2–64 participants, while supporting threshold configurations via lattice-based secret sharing. The Acorn scheme provides linear $O(n)$ verification, compact 64–96 byte proofs per participant, and strong quantum resistance, enabling scalable blockchain deployment and privacy-preserving transactions. The work includes a production-ready implementation integrated with the Cellframe DAP SDK, a thorough security and quantum-resistance analysis, and practical deployment guidance for anonymous transactions, governance, and service-chain privacy in blockchain ecosystems.

Abstract

ChipmunkRing, a practical post-quantum ring signature construction tailored for blockchain environments. Building on our Chipmunk lattice-based cryptographic framework, this implementation delivers compact digital signatures ranging from 20.5 to 279.7KB, with rapid signing operations completing in 1.1-15.1ms and efficient validation processes requiring only 0.4-4.5ms for participant groups of 2-64 members. The cornerstone of our approach is Acorn Verification-a streamlined zero-knowledge protocol that supersedes the classical Fiat-Shamir methodology. This innovation enables linear O(n) authentication complexity using concise 96-byte cryptographic proofs per participant, yielding a remarkable 17.7x performance enhancement for 32-member rings when compared to conventional techniques. Our work includes rigorous mathematical security demonstrations confirming 112-bit post-quantum protection (NIST Level 1), extensive computational benchmarking, and comprehensive support for both standard anonymity sets and collaborative threshold constructions with flexible participation requirements.