01 overview

The Konet PQC Wallet supports three types of accounts, each designed for different security and compatibility requirements.

Account Types

1

ECDSA Accounts (Legacy)

Traditional Ethereum-compatible accounts using secp256k1 elliptic curve cryptography.

• Cryptography: secp256k1 (ECDSA)

• Security Level: Classical security (vulnerable to quantum attacks)

• Compatibility: Full Ethereum ecosystem compatibility

• Use Case: Existing accounts, maximum compatibility

2

PQC Accounts (Post-Quantum)

Quantum-resistant accounts using ML-DSA-65 (Dilithium3) post-quantum cryptography.

• Cryptography: ML-DSA-65 (NIST FIPS 204)

• Security Level: NIST Level 3 (~128-bit quantum security)

• Compatibility: PQC-enabled networks

• Use Case: Future-proof quantum-safe accounts

3

Hybrid Accounts

Accounts that combine both ECDSA and PQC cryptography for maximum security and compatibility.

• Cryptography: secp256k1 (ECDSA) + ML-DSA-65 (Dilithium)

• Security Level: Defense against both classical and quantum attacks

• Compatibility: Works with both ECDSA and PQC networks

• Use Case: Migration path, maximum security

Key Differences

Feature	ECDSA	PQC	Hybrid
Quantum Resistance	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ethereum Compatibility	✅ Full	⚠️ Limited	✅ Full
Key Size	Small	Large	Largest
Signature Size	Small (65 bytes)	Large (~3.3 KB)	Largest (~3.4 KB)
Gas Cost	Low	Higher	Highest
Address Format	0x... (20 bytes)	pqc1p... (32 bytes)	0x... (20 bytes)

Security Considerations

Quantum Threat Timeline

• Current: ECDSA is secure against classical attacks

• Future: Quantum computers may break ECDSA (estimated 10-30 years)

• Solution: PQC and Hybrid accounts provide quantum resistance

Migration Strategy

1

Phase 1

Continue using ECDSA for maximum compatibility.

2

Phase 2

Create Hybrid accounts for enhanced security.

3

Phase 3

Migrate to PQC-only when quantum threat materializes.

Next Steps

• Learn about ECDSA Accounts for legacy compatibility

• Learn about PQC Accounts for quantum resistance

• Learn about Hybrid Accounts for maximum security

• See Account Comparison for detailed specifications

• Understand When to Use Each Account Type for decision guidance