Zero Knowledge Arguments for the Post-Quantum Era

Abstract

The approaching threat of quantum computing to conventional cryptography underscores the urgent need to reassess information security and develop practical quantum-safe primitives. In this paper, we present concrete implementations of Zero-Knowledge Arguments (ZKAs), analogous to but distinct from traditional Σ-protocols. Our implementation, termed the Cryptographic Primitive Argument (CPA), can be realized securely using any post-quantum Key Exchange Mechanism (KEM) and Digital Signature (DS) scheme. We describe two variants: one with dynamic public key encapsulation (CPA-DE) and another that is non-interactive (CPA-NI). We further detail efficient, NIST-standard-compliant CPAs instantiated with ML-KEM and ML-DSA, and provide a comparison with a post-quantum Σ-protocol. The lightweight and modular nature of our CPAs makes them suitable for a wide range of applications, including quantum-secure authentication, blockchain systems, and digital currencies.