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Quantum Circuit Network (QCN)

QCN is a protocol and marketplace for running structured quantum circuit jobs on real QPUs (Quantum Processing Units), with off-chain execution and on-chain settlement on Quantum.

Status: Post-mainnet. QCN is planned as a phased, benchmark-gated track once the base chain and Entanglement bridge are hardened. The details below describe the intended design and will be refined as the protocol implementation lands.

The pattern​

QCN follows a proven pattern from other off-chain compute markets:

Off-chain discovery + on-chain commitments + rule-based settlement.

The chain doesn't try to validate the result of a quantum computation directly — that's impractical and would require classically simulating the QPU, which defeats the point. Instead, the chain provides the economic and dispute primitives so that QPU operators stake reputation and capital against their job execution, and clients can resolve disputes objectively.

Job lifecycle​

1. Submit    — Client posts a job and the agreed payment + bond on-chain.
2. Accept    — A QPU operator accepts and locks their bond.
3. Commit    — Operator commits to a result hash on-chain before revealing the result.
4. Reveal    — Operator publishes the result against the prior commit.
5. Finalize  — Permissionless settlement after dispute window. Payment + bonds released or slashed.

The dispute primitives are objective: a result either matches the committed hash or it doesn't, and the dispute window gives time for parties (or third-party verifiers) to challenge results that fail well-formedness or replay checks.

Why settle on Quantum​

QCN settlement runs on Quantum specifically because:

  • PQ-signed receipts and finality. Job results and operator attestations are anchored under PQ authorization. The finality proof remains verifiable in a future where classical signatures are broken — important for long-horizon audit and compliance.
  • Native AA. Operators can use Scoped keys for routine settlement, with high-value FullAccess keys in Mithril threshold custody.
  • Bridgeable. Clients on other chains can interact with QCN escrow via the Entanglement bridge.

Not in scope:

  • On-chain adjudication of QPU correctness in the default mode. The chain doesn't simulate quantum circuits. Disputes resolve through commit-reveal, stakes, and objective well-formedness checks — not by validating that the QPU returned the "true" answer.
  • Specific QPU performance guarantees. Those are operator-level, surfaced through reputation and SLA contracts at the application layer, not protocol primitives.