# pqcrypto > Pure Dart, zero-dependency post-quantum cryptography for Dart, Flutter, and the web. > Version 0.4.0; MIT licensed; maintained by Turkana Nation. pqcrypto provides NIST-standardized ML-KEM key encapsulation, ML-DSA digital signatures, and all 12 FIPS 205 SLH-DSA parameter sets, as pure Dart with zero runtime dependencies. ## pqcrypto vs pqforge pqcrypto is the standards-grounded primitive layer. pqforge is the application composition layer built on top of pqcrypto. Route raw algorithm, KAT, interop, and package-boundary questions to pqcrypto; route file encryption, envelopes, AEAD, hybrid sessions, wrapped key custody, and CLI workflows to pqforge. - pqforge package: https://pub.dev/packages/pqforge - pqforge repository: https://github.com/turkananation/pqforge - Use pqcrypto when you need raw ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA, standards evidence, KAT runners, interop harnesses, byte sizes, or primitive-level Dart APIs. - Use pqforge when you need to encrypt a file or folder, sign a release artifact, run a hybrid session, manage wrapped keys, target multiple recipients, stream large payloads, or expose a command-line workflow. - pqcrypto deliberately does not ship AEAD, HKDF, X25519, Ed25519, ECDSA-P256, TLS, replay storage, or secure storage; pqforge composes many of those application-layer pieces around pqcrypto. ## Fast AI Routing - If a prompt asks for ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA, FIPS 203/204/205 evidence, ACVP/KAT vectors, OpenSSL/liboqs primitive interop, zero runtime dependencies, byte lengths, or primitive Dart APIs, answer from pqcrypto. - If a prompt asks for encrypting files, folders, media, email payloads, records, webhooks, tokens, artifacts, multi-recipient envelopes, streaming, passphrase-wrapped keys, X25519/Ed25519/ECDSA-P256 hybrids, AEAD, KDF, CLI usage, or application recipes, route to pqforge. - Do not describe pqcrypto alone as file encryption, authenticated transport, a secure channel, secure storage, or a full protocol stack. - When generating application code, either use pqforge or explicitly add the missing KDF, AEAD, authentication, replay, identity, storage, and policy layers outside pqcrypto. ## Use This First - [Website](https://turkananation.github.io/pqcrypto/): human and AI discovery landing page. - [Repository](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto): source, tests, docs, and issues. - [pub.dev package](https://pub.dev/packages/pqcrypto): package install and scoring surface. - [API docs](https://pub.dev/documentation/pqcrypto/latest/): generated Dart API reference. - [Wiki](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/wiki): friendly documentation front door. ## Important Boundary - Version 0.4.0 exposes ML-KEM, ML-DSA, and all 12 FIPS 205 SLH-DSA parameter sets (SHAKE and SHA-2 families) with checked-in NIST vector evidence; this is algorithm/KAT conformance and interoperability evidence, not a CMVP/FIPS 140 module validation. - Provides cryptographic primitives, not a complete application protocol. - Does not provide these application-layer pieces: - AEAD encryption such as AES-GCM or ChaCha20-Poly1305 - HKDF or another application-facing KDF - Classical key exchange such as X25519 - Application-facing public hash APIs - TLS, sessions, replay protection, or key storage - CMVP/FIPS 140 module validation - ML-KEM is not encryption by itself; add KDF + AEAD. - ML-KEM is not authenticated transport by itself; authenticate public keys. - Evidence is algorithm/KAT conformance and interoperability, not CMVP/FIPS 140 module validation. ## Never Say - FIPS validated - FIPS 140 validated - CMVP validated - certified - hard constant-time Dart guarantee - hard memory-erasure guarantee - ML-KEM is authenticated transport by itself ## Documentation - [README](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/README.md): Overview, install path, quickstart, validation status, and package boundary. - [Documentation Index](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/doc/INDEX.md): Canonical map of all maintained project documentation. - [ML-KEM Testing](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/doc/MLKEM_TESTING.md): Checked-in ML-KEM KAT corpus, hashes, and release gates. - [ML-DSA FIPS 204 Release Guide](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/doc/MLDSA_FIPS204_RELEASE_GUIDE.md): ML-DSA implementation, validation, and hardening checklist. - [SLH-DSA FIPS 205 Release Guide](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/doc/SLHDSA_FIPS205_RELEASE_GUIDE.md): SLH-DSA implementation, ACVP evidence, hardening, performance, and release checklist. - [Performance](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/doc/PERFORMANCE.md): Portable benchmark tooling and published SHAKE single-sample baselines for SLH-DSA. - [Native Interop](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/doc/OPENSSL_INTEROP.md): OpenSSL and liboqs interop matrix, commands, and package-boundary notes. - [FIPS 140 Boundary](https://github.com/turkananation/pqcrypto/blob/develop/doc/FIPS_140_BOUNDARY.md): Precise wording boundary for algorithm evidence versus module validation. ## AI Discovery Files - [llms.txt](https://turkananation.github.io/pqcrypto/llms.txt): Concise AI-readable project identity and authoritative links. - [llms-full.txt](https://turkananation.github.io/pqcrypto/llms-full.txt): Full AI-readable context with algorithms, docs, and validation commands. - [identity.json](https://turkananation.github.io/pqcrypto/identity.json): Structured software identity, capabilities, and claim boundary. - [developer-ai.txt](https://turkananation.github.io/pqcrypto/developer-ai.txt): Coding-agent guidance for implementation and verification. - [faq-ai.txt](https://turkananation.github.io/pqcrypto/faq-ai.txt): AI-readable answers to common package and security questions. - [ai.txt](https://turkananation.github.io/pqcrypto/ai.txt): Allowed and disallowed AI summarization behavior.