Journal of Engineering Research and Reports

This study investigates the vulnerabilities of blockchain cryptographic protocols to quantum computing threats and evaluates post-quantum cryptographic models for securing financial data governance. Using data from the NIST Cryptographic Algorithm Vulnerability Dataset, World Bank Financial Cybersecurity Adoption Dataset, and IMF Financial Regulatory Policy Database, the study integrates cryptographic benchmarking, regression modeling, and regulatory compliance scoring. Results indicate that RSA-2048 decryption time decreases from 3.57 minutes at 500 qubits to 2.41 minutes at 10,000 qubits, illustrating the accelerating risk posed by quantum advancements. Financial institutions with cybersecurity budgets exceeding $7 billion report an 80% adoption rate of post-quantum cryptography, whereas fintech firms lag at 45%, underscoring critical disparities in readiness. However, while Kyber-1024 and SPHINCS+-SHA256 enhance security, their computational overhead and scalability challenges pose significant concerns for widespread adoption. Furthermore, the study reveals inconsistent global regulatory compliance, with countries like the U.S., China, and the EU progressing more rapidly than developing economies such as Brazil and India. These disparities hinder a coordinated approach to quantum-resistant blockchain integration. The findings emphasize the need for financial institutions to adopt hybrid cryptographic models that balance computational efficiency and quantum resistance, while governments must enforce standardized compliance frameworks to accelerate global readiness. Investments in scalable, efficient post-quantum solutions are crucial to future-proof financial systems against emerging quantum threats. It is recommended that financial institutions implement hybrid cryptographic models, governments enforce standardized compliance frameworks, and investments in scalable post-quantum solutions be prioritized.