What is the Abelian Foundation?

Abelian
5 min readFeb 11, 2024

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What is Abelian? Notable keywords from Abelian’s Twitter include “quantum”, “privacy”, “wallet”, and “mining”.

This article lists basically everything you need to know about the Abelian Foundation, an organization focused on developing the Abelian network, a quantum-resistant and privacy-enhanced blockchain.

If you don’t like to read, check out this YouTube video 👇

Introduction to the Abelian Network

The Abelian network, launched in April 2022, represents a significant advancement in the blockchain space, offering a quantum-resistant layer-1 blockchain. It’s designed with lattice-based cryptographic algorithms to ensure security against quantum computing threats. Abelian stands out by providing multiple levels of privacy, from full anonymity in transactions to pseudonymous operations akin to Bitcoin and a novel privacy scheme . This dual focus on quantum resistance and privacy enhancements aims to position Abelian as “digital gold 2.0,” offering a more secure and private alternative for wealth preservation.

Visit the Abelian Foundation’s official website

The Team and Project Background

Dr. Duncan Wong, the driving force behind Abelian, has a rich history in cryptography, contributing to the field for over two decades. His journey from Hong Kong to the United States for a Ph.D. in computer science laid the groundwork for Abelian. The project, conceived in 2018 alongside fellow researchers, aims to address the vulnerabilities present in current blockchain systems to quantum computing. By focusing on creating a quantum-resistant blockchain from the ground up, Abelian seeks to provide a secure haven for digital assets in the face of advancing quantum technology.

Inspiration and Vision

The inception of Abelian was driven by the emerging threat of quantum computing and the lack of quantum-resistant blockchain solutions. The team’s deep expertise in post-quantum cryptography highlighted the need for a blockchain capable of withstanding quantum attacks while offering enhanced privacy features. Abelian’s mission is to pioneer a secure and private blockchain platform, addressing the quantum threat and enhancing user privacy through innovative cryptographic techniques.

Unique Features and Distinctions

Abelian differentiates itself with its foundational commitment to post-quantum security, providing a platform that remains secure against the advancing capabilities of quantum computers. It introduces the Abelian User Token (AUT) for issuing both fungible and non-fungible tokens that are quantum-resistant, expanding the ecosystem’s utility. Abelian’s proof-of-work consensus, emphasizing GPU-based mining, ensures broader participation and decentralization, setting it apart in a field increasingly leaning towards proof-of-stake models.

Furthermore, Abelian’s unique position is underscored by its dual focus on implementing quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms to guard against future quantum attacks and supporting comprehensive privacy-preserving capabilities. This dual approach enables Abelian to address the imminent quantum threat while also fulfilling the growing demand for enhanced privacy in digital transactions. By tackling both these critical aspects, Abelian emerges as a distinctive player in the blockchain field, offering a secure and private environment for digital assets. This strategic emphasis on both quantum resistance and privacy enhancement signifies Abelian’s commitment to leading the next generation of blockchain technology, ensuring its relevance and utility in a future where quantum computing becomes mainstream and privacy concerns continue to escalate.

Network Algorithm and Mining Pools

Abelian employs an ASIC-resistant Proof-of-Work algorithm to foster mining decentralization, supported by 200,000 GPUs to enhance network security. The network hosts four official mining pools, mineable with Ethash POW algorithm, named Alicia, Baker, Charlie, and Dior, distributed globally to reduce latency for miners. This commitment to ASIC resistance and ongoing research into next-generation mining algorithms is another focus point for Abelian.

Start mining on the four official mining pools here

User-Controlled Privacy on Abelian

Abelian’s platform is designed with user privacy at its core, offering a unique system that enables users to tailor their privacy settings according to their preferences. By incorporating lattice-based linkable ring signatures, zero-knowledge proofs, and stealth addresses, Abelian allows for a spectrum of privacy settings, from complete anonymity in transactions to pseudonymity that includes the use of tracking tags for added transparency. This feature ensures that users can choose the level of privacy they need for each transaction, making Abelian’s privacy options highly customizable. The emphasis here is on the control it grants users over their transaction visibility, providing a versatile solution that caters to various privacy demands without compromising on security.

Technical Foundation for Privacy and Security on Abelian

On the technical side, Abelian’s approach to ensuring data privacy and security is grounded in advanced quantum-resistant cryptographic techniques. The use of lattice-based linkable ring signatures and zero-knowledge proofs forms the backbone of Abelian’s security infrastructure, effectively concealing the details of transactions and the identities of wallet owners. This robust protection mechanism not only guarantees the confidentiality of user transactions but also safeguards against potential threats like double-spending. By adhering to the latest public key cryptography standards set by NIST, Abelian demonstrates its ability to maintain a secure and private blockchain environment, leveraging cutting-edge cryptography to protect user data at the blockchain level.

Project Objectives: Short-term and Long-term

In the short term, Abelian focuses on fully open-sourcing the project, enhancing its wallet offerings, executing a critical hard fork to introduce the Abelian User Token (AUT), and improving privacy features. Long-term objectives include making significant contributions to the blockchain industry by facilitating the transition of other platforms to post-quantum security and improving scalability through innovative layer 2 solutions, ensuring Abelian remains at the forefront of addressing future blockchain security challenges.

About Abelian

Abelian is a quantum-resistant blockchain infrastructure which enables digital gold 2.0 and empowers the post-quantum crypto ecosystem. Learn more about the quantum-safe Abelian blockchain & $ABEL Tokenomics at our documentation page.

The Abelian Foundation welcomes all feedback regarding tech developments and upcoming changes. To join the conversation, please visit us on our various social media and community channels linked on our linktree👇

https://linktr.ee/abelianfoundation

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Abelian

PQAbelian.io | linktr.ee/officialpqabelian | Post-Quantum Blockchain | Layer 1 | Multi-Level Privacy-Preserving | Quantum-Resistant Crypto Ecosystem