The Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) and digital asset security provider Safeheron have launched a cross-border post-quantum cryptography (PQC) pilot to evaluate quantum-resilient digital asset transaction infrastructure. The initiative convenes international commercial banks and financial regulators across multiple jurisdictions to test post-quantum wallet generation and transaction signing in a controlled environment.
| [ RFI & Safeheron Post-Quantum Pilot Architecture ] | ||
|---|---|---|
| PQC & Key Signing | Regulatory Sandbox | Ecosystem & Governance |
| • NIST FIPS 204 (ML-DSA-65) | • ADGM, GFSO & MFSA Observers | • Open-Source PQC Codebase |
| • Non-Custodial 2-of-2 MPC | • Multi-Jurisdiction Compliance | • Whitepaper & Standard Audits |
| • NEAR Testnet Integration | • Supervisory Policy Input | • RFI Cross-Regional Oversight |
NIST FIPS 204 Integration and Open-Source Commitments
The pilot moves post-quantum financial infrastructure from theoretical models to practical transaction flows:
- ML-DSA Signature Integration: Safeheron developed a multi-party computation (MPC) protocol that natively integrates ML-DSA-65—the module-lattice digital signature standard published in NIST FIPS 204.
- Non-Custodial Key Governance: The trial implements a non-custodial 2-of-2 MPC architecture, allowing financial institutions to maintain key share ownership while testing distributed signing workflows without single points of failure.
- Open-Source Codebase & Whitepaper: Safeheron plans to open-source the underlying PQC-MPC protocol code to enable independent security audits. The consortium will also publish a research whitepaper detailing protocol design, cross-border interoperability metrics, and operational resilience findings.
Regulatory Alignment and Cross-Jurisdiction Scope
The pilot addresses regulatory directives from central banks and supervisory authorities urging financial institutions to establish cryptographic agility and migration frameworks:
- Multi-Jurisdiction Sandbox: Financial regulators participate as observers in Phase 1 before contributing to a dedicated governance workstream in Phase 2, assessing supervisory expectations, cross-border compliance, and operational risks.
- Regional Mandate Context: The initiative aligns with supervisory frameworks in Asia and Europe—including the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) technology risk directives, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) Fintech 2030 Quantum Preparedness Index, and the Malta Financial Services Authority’s (MFSA) ICT risk monitoring.
Led by RFI Chairman Chia Hock Lai, Safeheron Chief Security & Policy Officer Jag Foo, Bison Bank CEO António Henriques, and GFSO Managing Director David Peters, the consortium provides a collaborative testing environment for regulated entities preparing for post-quantum migration.
Review the press release via PR Newswire here.
August 24, 2026