Post-Quantum Cryptographic Techniques for Future-Proofing-Blockchain-Based Personal Data Sharing
Godwin Mandinyenya, Vusumuzi Malele · Iraqi Journal for Computers and Informatics · 2025
Blockchain has become a critical enabler of secure data sharing in domains such as healthcare, finance, and digital identity. However, its reliance on classical cryptographic schemes (e.g., RSA, ECDSA, SHA-256) makes current systems vulnerable to emerging quantum computing attacks, raising risks to data confidentiality, integrity, and long-term trust. This paper addresses this challenge by proposing a modular hybrid framework that integrates post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) techniques into blockchain-based personal data sharing. The framework combines lattice-based encryption for protecting off-chain data, hash-based signatures for smart contract authentication, and quantum-safe zero-knowledge proofs and trusted execution environments (TEEs) for privacy-preserving verification and secure key management. To ground this design, we conducted a systematic literature review of 35 studies published between 2018 and 2025, analyzing security, scalability, interoperability, regulatory alignment, and user autonomy. Findings reveal that only 5 out of 35 studies (14%) explicitly addressed quantum threats, with over 80% focusing on theoretical resilience without testing implementation constraints. Furthermore, 90% of proposals neglected smart contract compatibility, and only 8% (3/35) incorporated TEEs, underscoring implementation barriers in contract execution, secure key management, and performance integration. Prototype evaluation demonstrated that the framework sustained 1,500 TPS on Hyperledger Fabric, achieved a 75% reduction in storage bloat using IPFS, and supported GDPR-aligned workflows with 99.98% audit log completion and 95% successful erasure requests. Privacy was further strengthened through zk-STARK proofs, which reduced unauthorized access by 40%, while TEEs improved key management efficiency by ~28%. Although PQC introduced 5–12 seconds of latency, consent revocation was processed in under 2.1 seconds, highlighting both the feasibility and trade-offs of practical post-quantum deployment. This work demonstrates a clear pathway toward quantum-resilient blockchain infrastructures that safeguard personal data, comply with regulatory standards, and maintain user trust in the quantum era.