Zcash Development Team Introduces Unique Keys to Enhance Quantum Security

The Zakura team, responsible for the Zcash network, has announced plans to implement unique viewing keys for each ZEC exchange to bolster security against potential quantum computing threats. This initiative aims to prevent quantum computers from exploiting public refund addresses to reconstruct user payment histories. The new system will utilize NEAR Intents, which facilitates cross-chain token exchanges, allowing users to trade the privacy coin ZEC for USDC while ensuring that a unique Zcash address is published on the NEAR public blockchain for any unused ZEC refunds.

Currently, Zcash wallets generate multiple addresses that typically share the same viewing key. This poses a risk, as an attacker who cracks the viewing key could link all payments associated with the account. To mitigate this risk, Zakura's solution will allocate a distinct viewing key for each exchange, while the spending key remains secure in the user's main account. This means that even if a refund address is compromised, the attacker would only gain access to information related to that specific exchange.

In addition to enhancing security, this approach addresses practical challenges faced by wallets that conduct numerous exchanges, which would otherwise require extensive key management. Zakura's solution employs a privately queryable database that utilizes private information retrieval technology, ensuring that the database remains unaware of the queried address. The team has indicated that wallets built on its open-source library, including Vizor, will incorporate this feature in the coming weeks, with hardware wallets expected to follow after firmware updates, ahead of the January deadline for quantum-resistant payments set by Zcash developers.

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Source: KLEA News