Adaptive Post-Quantum Cryptography for Blockchain: Enhancing Security and Energy Efficiency with Cryptographic Agility

The rapid advancement of quantum computing threatens classical cryptographic systems, necessitating a transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to ensure secure digital infrastructures. This research investigates the role of PQC-enhanced blockchain solutions in securing critical applications such as network slicing, authentication, and service-level agreement (SLA) monitoring. As part of the PQ-REACT project, quantum-resistant ledgers are employed to maintain tamper-proof records, ensuring data integrity and compliance in multi-domain environments. The study further demonstrates how context-aware cryptographic selection enables efficient resource allocation, mitigating the computational costs associated with PQC.