Quantum Cryptography vs Post-Quantum Cryptography: Claim Check

Which details distinguish a QKD claim from a PQC claim?

Ask what the system uses and what it produces. A QKD claim describes quantum signals and equipment used to establish shared key material. A post-quantum KEM describes an algorithmic shared-secret operation. A post-quantum signature describes signing and verification with public and private keys. These operational details are more informative than a product’s use of the word “quantum.”

Source-derived comparison. Sources: NIST: What Is Quantum Cryptography? · FIPS 203: ML-KEM · FIPS 204: ML-DSA.

NIST’s quantum cryptography overview identifies QKD as one example within a broader field. The table classifies these common claims; it does not treat QKD as the whole of quantum cryptography.

Use this table: CSV · JSON · Permanent table link. Source context and limits remain in the rows and source list.

When does a claim provide evidence about blockchain authorization?

A claim concerns blockchain authorization when it identifies the signed transaction data and the verification rules that the network enforces. Evidence about a protected communication link or established shared secret addresses another operation. To connect either claim to spending security, request the actual authorization scheme, its parameters and its deployed verifier rather than inferring them from the channel technology.

Editorial synthesis. Source context: FIPS 203: ML-KEM · FIPS 204: ML-DSA.

The distinction follows the separate operations specified by FIPS 203 and FIPS 204. Our classification applies that distinction to the scope of a cryptocurrency claim; it does not evaluate any particular QKD product.