The QRL XMSS - Demystified
(This blog is under construction. Expect incomplete explanation.) At the heart of QRL, as of this writing, we have the XMSS ( eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme ) which is used to sign and verify the authenticity of transactions in the QRL Blockchain. This is supposedly based on the C implementation xmss-reference which is based on the document RFC 8391 . Now, in spite of the fact that this signature scheme have been heavily used and became inseparable for its purpose in the blockchain, it has been lacking documentation (apart from the RFC 8391) on what is actually happening down the hood on this QRL port of XMSS. In the future, QRL might be moving to a different more smaller but quantum resistant signature scheme but nevertheless, I believe reverse engineering this piece of fascinating signature scheme might be worth a try. A brief history of hash based one time signatures The Leslie Lamport signature scheme In 1979, Leslie...