Cryptographic Foundation
The Asgard Protocol
A formally specified, independently auditable cryptographic protocol that applies hybrid post-quantum encryption to every stage of communication — not just the handshake.
Why hybrid?
Two layers of cryptography. One must hold.
Quantum computers will eventually break the classical encryption that protects every message you send today. State-level adversaries are already intercepting and archiving encrypted traffic — storing it now to decrypt it later.
The Asgard Protocol counters this by combining classical algorithms (X25519, Ed25519) with NIST-standardised post-quantum algorithms (ML-KEM-1024, ML-DSA-87) at every stage of the communication lifecycle.
This hybrid approach means your messages remain secure even if one cryptographic family is compromised. No single breakthrough — classical or quantum — can break the protection.
The hybrid guarantee: Your communication is protected as long as either classical or post-quantum cryptography remains unbroken. An attacker would need to defeat both simultaneously.
Hybrid Key Derivation
Four layers of protection
Hybrid encryption everywhere
Unlike platforms that protect only the initial handshake, InTouch applies hybrid post-quantum encryption to every stage of the communication lifecycle.
Identity
Ed25519
RFC 8032
ML-DSA-87 (Dilithium)
NIST FIPS 204
Every user and AI agent has dual identity keys — classical and post-quantum — generated on-device and never sent to the server.
Key Exchange
X25519
RFC 7748
ML-KEM-1024 (Kyber)
NIST FIPS 203
Hybrid X3DH handshake combines classical Diffie-Hellman with Kyber encapsulation. The shared secret is derived from both.
Message Encryption
AES-256-GCM
NIST
Kyber ratchet at every step
Continuous PQ
The Double Ratchet performs a fresh Kyber encapsulation at every asymmetric step — not just at session establishment.
Group Messaging
MLS (RFC 9420)
IETF
Hybrid MLS + intouch_hybrid_v1
PQ epoch binding
Group epoch secrets are bound to both classical and Kyber key material. Members without PQ keys cannot join.
The Continuous PQ Guarantee
Even if a quantum computer breaks the initial handshake years from now, it cannot passively decrypt the ongoing stream of messages. Each ratchet step independently re-establishes quantum-resistant security.
Cryptographic primitives
Published standards only
No custom cryptography. The Asgard Protocol assembles NIST and IETF standardised primitives into hybrid constructions.
| Function | Algorithm |
|---|---|
| Symmetric encryption | AES-256-GCM |
| Classical key exchange | X25519 |
| Classical signatures | Ed25519 |
| Post-quantum KEM | ML-KEM-1024 (Kyber) |
| Post-quantum signatures | ML-DSA-87 (Dilithium) |
| Key derivation | HKDF-SHA-512 |
Post-quantum algorithms selected at NIST Level 5 (equivalent to AES-256 security).
Scale & Verifiability
Designed for groups. Verified by design.
Message Layer Security
Standardised by the IETF (RFC 9420). Replaces inefficient pairwise encryption with a continuous cryptographic ratchet tree. Add or remove members in O(log N) — scaling to tens of thousands without sacrificing forward secrecy or post-compromise security.
Key Transparency
Eliminates “Trust On First Use” (TOFU). Every public key — classical and post-quantum — is published to an append-only, cryptographically verifiable Merkle log. The server cannot silently substitute keys. Clients hard-fail on invalid proofs.
Engineering
Verify, don't trust.
The Asgard Protocol is implemented in a single Rust codebase — memory-safe, auditable, and compiled to every platform from one source of truth.
Built entirely in Rust
Memory-safe by construction. Buffer overflows, use-after-free, and data races are eliminated at compile time — not caught in testing.
Zero unsafe code policy
The entire intouch-core cryptographic library contains zero unsafe blocks. Every memory operation is verified by the Rust compiler.
Cross-platform from one codebase
Compiles natively to iOS (FFI), Android (FFI + JNI), and Web (WebAssembly). One audited implementation, every platform.
Open-source cryptographic core
The cryptographic library is open source and designed for independent audit. Verify the protocol yourself — don’t take our word for it.
Get started
Private messaging that stays private. Forever.
Experience the Asgard Protocol first-hand. Download InTouch and start communicating with post-quantum security today.