Empirical ML-DSA-87 data from a live SHA-256 PoW chain (relevant to BIP-360 / Witness V3 sizing discussion)

This system operates without a hybrid or fallback signature mechanism and offers two kinds of output: native P2QR and a wrapped P2SH format for legacy and pool compatibility. The chain enforces a hard cap of 231 million and was launched on the mainnet with these parameters. An essential characteristic to note from this deployment is that the first non-coinbase P2QR transaction was confirmed at block 283.

A deliberate stress test conducted on the network aimed to provide real-world data concerning input-counts and witness-size, which are critical for ongoing discussions in cryptographic and blockchain communities. This test included two stages: the first involved expanding one input into 4,001 outputs, while the second consolidated these outputs back into a single one. The initial stage generated a transaction size of about 179,323 bytes, mined in block 21797. The subsequent consolidation stage resulted in a significantly larger transaction size of approximately 29MB (29,072,055 bytes), mined in block 21798. These transactions underscored the computational expense associated with processing inputs over outputs, an insight crucial for optimizing blockchain efficiency.

Further validation of the blockchain’s robustness was observed in block 24521, where a single transaction included 715,001 outputs, confirming the chain's capability to handle large-scale operations routinely. The weight metrics from these activities notably highlighted the intensive resource requirements for processing inputs, providing a practical perspective on theoretical discussions about input/output limits per block.

The cryptographic backbone of these operations, ML-DSA-87, is derived from the pq-crystals reference implementation, specifically from the CRYSTALS-Dilithium team's work (pq-crystals). This aspect of the implementation is critical as it informs the security and efficiency of the signature scheme employed.

For those interested in deeper technical details or further validation, all transaction IDs and block numbers mentioned are publicly verifiable through the KVANTA5 blockchain explorer (Kvanta5-Core GitHub repository, KVANTA5 Explorer). This transparency not only enhances trust in the data provided but also serves as a rich resource for anyone researching or developing in the field of blockchain technology.