05 account comparison

This page provides a comprehensive comparison of all account types supported by the Konet PQC Wallet.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	ECDSA	PQC	Hybrid
Cryptography	secp256k1	ML-DSA-65	secp256k1 + ML-DSA-65
Quantum Resistance	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ethereum Compatibility	✅ Full	⚠️ Limited	✅ Full
Address Format	0x... (20 bytes)	pqc1p... (32 bytes)	0x... (20 bytes)
Private Key Size	32 bytes	4,032 bytes	4,064 bytes
Public Key Size	64 bytes	1,952 bytes	2,016 bytes
Signature Size	65 bytes	3,309 bytes	3,374 bytes
Transaction Overhead	~65 bytes	~5,261 bytes	~5,326 bytes
Gas Cost (Approx.)	~1,040 gas	~84,176 gas	~85,216 gas
Signature Recovery	✅ Recoverable	❌ Non-recoverable	✅ ECDSA recoverable
NIST Security Level	N/A	Level 3	Level 3 (PQC)
Classical Security	~128 bits	~192 bits	~192 bits (PQC)
Quantum Security	~64 bits	~128 bits	~128 bits (PQC)

Detailed Specifications

Key Sizes

ECDSA Account

Private Key:  32 bytes  (256 bits)
Public Key:   64 bytes  (512 bits, uncompressed)
Address:      20 bytes  (160 bits)
Signature:   65 bytes  (520 bits)

PQC Account

Private Key:  4,032 bytes  (32,256 bits)
Public Key:   1,952 bytes  (15,616 bits)
Address:      32 bytes     (256 bits, quantum-safe)
Signature:    3,309 bytes  (26,472 bits)

Hybrid Account

ECDSA Private Key:  32 bytes
ECDSA Public Key:   64 bytes
PQC Private Key:    4,032 bytes
PQC Public Key:     1,952 bytes
Total Private Key:  4,064 bytes
Total Public Key:  2,016 bytes
Address:            20 bytes (ECDSA-compatible)
ECDSA Signature:    65 bytes
PQC Signature:      3,309 bytes
Total Signature:    3,374 bytes

Security Comparison

Classical Security

Account Type	Security Level	Attack Resistance
ECDSA	~128 bits	Resistant to all known classical attacks
PQC	~192 bits	Resistant to all known classical attacks
Hybrid	~192 bits (PQC)	Resistant to all known classical attacks

Quantum Security

Account Type	Quantum Security	Grover's Algorithm	Shor's Algorithm
ECDSA	~64 bits	Vulnerable	Vulnerable
PQC	~128 bits	Resistant	Resistant
Hybrid	~128 bits (PQC)	Resistant	Resistant

Address Security

Address Type	Bytes	Classical Pre-image	Quantum Pre-image	Quantum Collision
ECDSA (0x...)	20	160 bits	~80 bits	~53 bits
PQC (pqc1p...)	32	256 bits	~128 bits	~85 bits
Hybrid (0x...)	20	160 bits	~80 bits	~53 bits

Compatibility Comparison

Ethereum Ecosystem

Feature	ECDSA	PQC	Hybrid
Standard Address Format	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
MetaMask Compatibility	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
Remix IDE	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
Standard dApps	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
ERC-20 Tokens	✅ Yes	⚠️ Limited	✅ Yes
Smart Contracts	✅ Yes	⚠️ Limited	✅ Yes

Network Support

Network Type	ECDSA	PQC	Hybrid
Ethereum Mainnet	✅ Yes	❌ No	⚠️ Future
Ethereum Testnets	✅ Yes	❌ No	⚠️ Future
PQC-Enabled Networks	⚠️ Limited	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Quorum L2	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Performance Comparison

Transaction Size

Account Type	Base Transaction	Signature Overhead	Total Size
ECDSA	~100 bytes	65 bytes	~165 bytes
PQC	~100 bytes	5,261 bytes	~5,361 bytes
Hybrid	~100 bytes	5,326 bytes	~5,426 bytes

Gas Costs

Operation	ECDSA	PQC	Hybrid
Signature Verification	~3,000 gas	~15,000 gas	~18,000 gas
Transaction Data	~1,040 gas	~84,176 gas	~85,216 gas
Total (Approx.)	~21,000 gas	~210,000 gas	~228,000 gas

Note: Gas costs are approximate and vary by network.

Storage Requirements

Component	ECDSA	PQC	Hybrid
Private Key Storage	32 bytes	4,032 bytes	4,064 bytes
Public Key Storage	64 bytes	1,952 bytes	2,016 bytes
Account Data	~200 bytes	~6,000 bytes	~6,200 bytes

Use Case Comparison

When to Use Each Type

Use Case	ECDSA	PQC	Hybrid
Maximum Compatibility	✅ Best	❌ Poor	✅ Good
Quantum Resistance	❌ No	✅ Best	✅ Best
Gas Cost Optimization	✅ Best	❌ Poor	❌ Poor
Long-Term Security	❌ Poor	✅ Best	✅ Best
Migration Path	N/A	❌ No	✅ Best
New Account Creation	✅ Good	✅ Good	✅ Best
Existing Account Upgrade	N/A	❌ No	✅ Best

Decision Matrix

Choose ECDSA If:

• ✅ Need maximum Ethereum compatibility

• ✅ Gas cost is a primary concern

• ✅ Short-term use (< 5 years)

• ✅ Quantum threat is not immediate

Choose PQC If:

• ✅ Need quantum resistance

• ✅ Don't need ECDSA compatibility

• ✅ PQC-enabled network

• ✅ Long-term security (> 10 years)

Choose Hybrid If:

• ✅ Need both quantum resistance AND compatibility

• ✅ Migrating from ECDSA

• ✅ Maximum security required

• ✅ Future-proofing critical infrastructure

Migration Paths

ECDSA → Hybrid

1

Step

Export ECDSA private key

2

Step

Create Hybrid account (use existing ECDSA key, generate PQC key)

3

Step

Transfer funds to Hybrid address

4

Step

Result: Quantum resistance + compatibility

PQC → Hybrid

1

Step

Export PQC keys

2

Step

Generate ECDSA key pair

3

Step

Create Hybrid account (combine both)

4

Step

Transfer funds to Hybrid address

5

Step

Result: Added compatibility

Hybrid → PQC

1

Step

Export PQC keys

2

Step

Create PQC-only account

3

Step

Transfer funds to PQC address

4

Step

Result: Reduced gas costs (if compatibility not needed)

Summary

Account Type	Best For	Trade-offs
ECDSA	Maximum compatibility, low gas costs	No quantum resistance
PQC	Quantum resistance, long-term security	Limited compatibility, higher gas costs
Hybrid	Best of both worlds	Highest gas costs, largest storage

Related Documentation

• ECDSA Accounts - Detailed ECDSA specifications

• PQC Accounts - Detailed PQC specifications

• Hybrid Accounts - Detailed Hybrid specifications

• When to Use Each Account Type - Decision guide

• Address Formats - Address format details