Post-quantum cryptography just got the official stamp of approval—NIST standardized it in 2024. Sounds great on paper, right? But here's where it gets tricky.

Without proper hardware acceleration, implementing these new cryptographic standards could tank blockchain performance by roughly an order of magnitude. We're talking serious slowdown across the network. The real challenge isn't just adopting the standards themselves—it's figuring out how to integrate them without turning your blockchain into molasses.

This is exactly the kind of technical hurdle that separates the projects that can adapt quickly from those that get left behind. Hardware optimization isn't optional if quantum-resistant cryptography is coming to mainstream blockchain adoption.