Main network: preparing for launch

Digital cash
ready for the quantum era

PQCH (PostQuantum Cash) is an open-source cryptocurrency built on Bitcoin Core, where every coin is protected by post-quantum signatures standardised by NIST.

Get started Open the explorer

The project

Why post-quantum?

Today's digital currencies rely on elliptic-curve cryptography. A large enough quantum computer could recover a private key from its public key, which becomes visible on the chain whenever coins are spent. PQCH was designed from the ground up so that no spend depends on that cryptography alone.

P2MR

P2MR addresses

Each address (pqc1p…) is the root of a tree of scripts. No public key appears on the chain before the coins are spent.

Hybrid signatures

A normal spend needs both a Schnorr signature and an ML-DSA-44 signature (NIST FIPS 204). Breaking only one of them is not enough.

SLH

Backup recovery path

Every address has a second path using SLH-DSA-128s (FIPS 205), built only on hash functions, in case ML-DSA ever fails.

CPU mining

RandomX proof of work, efficient on ordinary processors, with optional merged mining alongside Monero (AuxPoW) through P2Pool.

60s

A block every minute

One block every 60 seconds, with the difficulty adjusted on every block (ASERT). Reorganisations are limited to 60 blocks.

OSS

Open source

Based on Bitcoin Core 32.1, with the PQCH changes documented and tested. The issuance rules are in the code for anyone to verify.

Specifications

Network parameters

Main network consensus values, as they are in the code.

Unit	1 PQCH = 100,000,000 quanta
Initial reward	12.5 PQCH per block, halving every 2,356,000 blocks (about 4.5 years)
Maximum supply	about 58.9 million PQCH
Block interval	60 seconds, ASERT difficulty (4-hour half-life)
Block size	up to 2,000,000 weight units
Proof of work	RandomX; optional merged mining with Monero (AuxPoW)
Reward maturity	720 blocks (about 12 hours)
Addresses	`pqc1p…` (P2MR, bech32m)
Signatures	Schnorr + ML-DSA-44 (normal spend); SLH-DSA-128s (recovery)

Get started

How to create your wallet

A PQCH wallet is created on your own computer, by the PQCH Core application. No website, this one included, creates wallets: your keys are born and stay with you.

Download and verify PQCH Core

Pick your system in Downloads and check the file's SHA256 sum before installing it.
Create the wallet

Open PQCH Core and choose File → Create Wallet. Turn on Encrypt Wallet and choose a strong passphrase. The wallet generates a fresh post-quantum seed, only on your computer.
From the command line
```
pqchd -daemon
pqch-cli createwallet "main" false false "a-strong-passphrase"
pqch-cli -rpcwallet=main getnewaddress
```
Back it up

Use File → Backup Wallet and keep the file in two places away from the computer (for example, two USB drives kept in different locations). PQCH wallets do not use recovery words: the backup is this file, protected by your passphrase.
From the command line
```
pqch-cli -rpcwallet=main backupwallet /path/to/pqch-wallet.bak
```
Receive PQCH

Under Receive, create an address. It always starts with pqc1p. You can follow any payment in the explorer.

Protect yourself from scams

PQCH will never ask for your passphrase, wallet file or keys, by email, message or "support".
No legitimate website creates PQCH wallets for you. Be suspicious of any that does.
Download PQCH Core only from this page and always check the SHA256 sum.

Downloads

PQCH Core

PQCH Core includes the node, the wallet and CPU mining. The files are published when the main network launches, each with its SHA256 sum and signature.

WindowsWindows 10 and 11, 64-bitAvailable at launch

macOSApple Silicon and IntelAvailable at launch

Linuxx86_64 and ARM64Available at launch

Source codeTo build and auditPublic at launch

How to verify a downloaded file

# Windows (PowerShell)
Get-FileHash .\downloaded-file -Algorithm SHA256

# macOS / Linux
shasum -a 256 downloaded-file

The result must match the value published in the SHA256SUMS file, signed by the PQCH developers.

Mining

Mining PQCH

RandomX was designed to run well on ordinary processors, so any computer can help secure the network.

Solo mining (CPU)

PQCH Core mines directly with RandomX, from your own node, to an address in your wallet. The step-by-step guide is published at launch.

Merged mining with Monero

If you already mine Monero with P2Pool, you can mine PQCH at the same time with the same work (AuxPoW), losing nothing on Monero. Guide at launch.

Documentation

White paper

The PQCH technical paper, covering the signature design, P2MR addresses, issuance and mining, is being prepared and will be published here.