Cardano Launches Valentine Upgrade for SECP Cryptographic Primitives

Input Output Global (IOG), the organization behind the Cardano blockchain, has launched a valentine upgrade for its Standards for Efficient Cryptography (SECP) primitives on the network’s mainnet.

With the update, developers can now use a broader range of native multi-signature designs to build secure and cost-effective decentralized applications (DApps).

Happy St. Valentine’s day. 💙

We are pleased to report that the #Valentine upgrade – support for #Plutus SECP cryptographic primitives – is now live on the #Cardano mainnet.

1/4 pic.twitter.com/SdYWknKeHY

— Input Output (@InputOutputHK) February 14, 2023

Cardano’s Valentine Upgrade is Now Live

The upgrade took place on February 14 at 21:44 UTC, at the beginning of epoch 394 around absolute slot height 84844800 and estimated block height 8403208.

IOG shared that the variance in cryptographic algorithms and signature schemes across blockchains led to the upgrade.

Being the two most popular signature schemes, Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) and Schnorr are used in the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Polkadot blockchains.

In contrast, the Cardano network uses the Edwards-curve Digital Signature Algorithm (EdDSA) with elliptic curve Curve25519 as its base curve (aka. Ed25519) alongside Ripple, Monero, and others.

The difference in cryptographic algorithms means that Cardano dApp developers would need to validate ECDSA and Schnorr signatures when working with other blockchains. This increases security risks and requires significant resources, hence the cryptographic primitives.

“Native support for SECP now fosters cross-chain interoperability while ensuring the highest level of security. With the #Cardano #Valentine upgrade, developers can now easily create cross-chain DApps that are secure, reliable, and cost-effective,” IOG said.

Support for ECDSA and Schnorr Signatures

Notably, only Ed25519 was provided as an in-built function for Plutus, which is the native language of Cardano’s smart contract platform.

IOG has now integrated new functions in Plutus to support ECDSA and Schnorr signatures. Creating cross-chain applications will now be less expensive and time-consuming as developers have access to a broader range of multi-signature designs native to Cardano.

“Interoperability is key for blockchain growth. As more DApps are built on #Cardano, it is essential that they are not siloed to just one ecosystem, enabling users to interact with different blockchains and access a wider range of services,” IOG added.