NIST Advances Nine Post-Quantum Digital Signature Candidates to Third Evaluation Round - Quantum Computing Report

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NIST Advances Nine Post-Quantum Digital Signature Candidates to Third Evaluation Round

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has transitioned nine cryptographic algorithms to the third round of its Additional Digital Signature Selection Project, as detailed in NIST Internal Report (IR) 8610. Initiated in September 2022 to diversify the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) portfolio beyond structured lattice-based designs—such as the previously standardized ML-DSA and FN-DSA schemes—the project tracks general-purpose signatures optimized for alternative security assumptions, short signatures, and accelerated verification. The second evaluation round concluded on May 14, 2026, following 18 months of public cryptanalysis, performance benchmarking, and architectural updates presented at the Sixth NIST PQC Standardization Conference in September 2025. Five algorithms—CROSS, LESS, Mirath, PERK, and RYDE—were eliminated from further standardization consideration due to uncompetitive performance trade-offs or security vulnerabilities identified during the second round.