QDBFT: A Dynamic Consensus Algorithm for Quantum-Secured Blockchain
Fei Xu, Cheng Ye, Jie OuYang, Ziqiang Wu, Haoze Chen, An Hua, Meifeng Gao, Qiandong Zhang, Minghan Li, Feilong Li, Yajun Miao, Wei Qi
TL;DR
QDBFT addresses the quantum threat to blockchain security by integrating a dynamic, hash-ring–based leader rotation (Carousel) with quantum-key-distribution–driven, information-theoretic authentication for inter-node messaging, while preserving PBFT-like throughput. It supports dynamic membership through an updated configuration table $T_v$ and requires a $2f+1$ quorum to finalize decisions, using a 32-bit hash ring to elect the next primary via $H_{32}(H(pb))$ mapping. Client–node communication remains secured by post-quantum signatures, and inter-node channels are protected by ITS authentication built on QKD keys, enabling forward security and resistance to quantum adversaries. Experimental evidence on a realistic platform indicates QDBFT achieves performance comparable to PBFT while delivering strong resilience against quantum attacks and supporting dynamic reconfiguration with manageable overhead.
Abstract
The security foundation of blockchain system relies primarily on classical cryptographic methods and consensus algorithms. However, the advent of quantum computing poses a significant threat to conventional public-key cryptosystems based on computational hardness assumptions. In particular, Shor's algorithm can efficiently solve discrete logarithm and integer factorization problems in polynomial time, thereby undermining the immutability and security guarantees of existing systems. Moreover, current Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) protocols, widely adopted in consortium blockchains, suffer from high communication overhead and limited efficiency when coping with dynamic node reconfigurations, while offering no intrinsic protection against quantum adversaries. To address these challenges, we propose QDBFT, a quantum-secured dynamic consensus algorithm, with two main contributions: first,we design a primary node automatic rotation mechanism based on a consistent hash ring to enable consensus under dynamic membership changes, ensuring equitable authority distribution; second, we integrate Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks to provide message authentication for inter-node communication, thereby achieving information-theoretic security in the consensus process. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that QDBFT achieves performance comparable to traditional PBFT while delivering strong resilience against quantum attacks, making it a promising solution for future quantum-secure decentralized infrastructures.