- How is the original QRL chain different from QRL 2.0?
- The original QRL chain is a Proof-of-Work network that launched in 2018 and pioneered post-quantum cryptography on a public blockchain using XMSS hash-based signatures. QRL 2.0 is its next-generation successor: an EVM-compatible Proof-of-Stake network that carries the quantum-resistant principle forward with ML-DSA-87 (lattice-based) signatures, plus full smart-contract support. The QRL community is transitioning to QRL 2.0; this page shows blocks on the original Proof-of-Work chain.
- How often are new QRL blocks mined?
- QRL targets a 60-second block time on average. Actual time between blocks varies because Proof-of-Work is probabilistic — sometimes a miner finds a block in seconds, sometimes it takes minutes. The protocol adjusts difficulty every block so the long-run average stays close to 60 seconds.
- Who mines QRL blocks?
- Anyone running mining software against the network. The Proof-of-Work algorithm is computationally expensive, so miners typically run dedicated hardware (CPUs/GPUs) and join a mining pool to smooth out reward variance. The Miner column on this page shows the address that produced each block — that address receives the entire block reward.
- What is the QRL block reward, and does it change over time?
- Every QRL block pays its miner a static block reward plus the sum of all transaction fees the miner included. The static portion follows an exponential-decay emission curve (with a 60% reduction applied by the on-chain QIP-16 governance vote), so blocks mined today pay less than blocks mined in 2018. The Reward column shows the total for that specific block.
- What makes QRL quantum-resistant?
- QRL uses XMSS — the eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme — to sign every transaction. XMSS is a hash-based scheme standardised by NIST in 2020 (SP 800-208). Unlike ECDSA (used by Bitcoin) or Schnorr signatures, XMSS does not rely on the discrete-log problem that Shor's algorithm breaks on a quantum computer. The trade-off is that XMSS keys can only sign a limited number of transactions before they're exhausted — wallets manage this automatically.
- How does QRL difficulty work?
- Difficulty is a target every miner must beat under QRL's custom QRandomX Proof-of-Work algorithm: they hash the block header repeatedly with different nonces until they find one that produces a hash below the current target. The protocol adjusts difficulty every block so the average block time stays near 60 seconds — if blocks come in too fast difficulty rises, too slow and it falls. The Difficulty column shows the target this specific block had to satisfy.
- Why do some QRL blocks have zero transactions?
- Empty blocks are normal. Miners still get the block reward whether the block contains 0 or 100 transactions, so a miner who finds a valid hash before any transactions reach their mempool will publish the empty block immediately. On a chain with sparse activity, empty blocks are common.
- Can a QRL block be reversed?
- Yes, briefly. Proof-of-Work chains don't have the protocol-level finality that Proof-of-Stake chains have — if two miners find competing blocks at the same height, the network temporarily forks and resolves to the chain with more cumulative work. Reorgs of 1 block are uncommon but possible; reorgs deeper than a few blocks are extremely rare. Every detected swap is listed on the chain reorganisations page. For practical purposes, after 6-12 confirmations a QRL block is considered settled.
- What is the difference between a block's height and its hash?
- Height is the sequential block number (genesis is height 0; the highest in this table is the most recent). Hash is the 32-byte cryptographic fingerprint of the block's contents. On the canonical chain every height has exactly one hash; if you briefly see two competing hashes at the same height, the network is in the middle of resolving a reorg.
- Is the QRL chain still active, and is this data current?
- Yes — QRL continues to mine blocks while the network transitions to its QRL 2.0 successor. Quantascan indexes from a QRL archive node we operate ourselves, so the table at the top of this page updates as each new block is mined, and every historical block since genesis remains queryable here.