Cloudflare Launches Post-Quantum Certificate Authority

• •Cloudflare is becoming a public Certificate Authority to issue post-quantum certificates.
• •Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs) will minimize performance impact during TLS handshakes.
• •Cloudflare plans to acquire a trusted root certificate from GlobalSign for legacy device compatibility.

On September 29, 2026, Cloudflare announced its intent to become a public Certificate Authority (CA) that will issue digital certificates, including new post-quantum Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs). This initiative aims to address the impending threat posed by quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption standards. The new CA will support both traditional and post-quantum certificates, ensuring compatibility with older devices. Cloudflare plans to acquire an established root certificate from GlobalSign to facilitate immediate recognition across legacy systems. The transition to post-quantum cryptography is critical as quantum computers are expected to emerge within years, potentially compromising existing encryption methods. Cloudflare's MTCs are designed to minimize the size of cryptographic signatures, which could otherwise degrade performance during TLS handshakes. The initiative has gained industry support and is expected to enhance security for a wide range of internet users. Cloudflare aims to begin issuing these certificates in early 2027.