Java 27 Delivers Post-Quantum Cryptography, Future Language Innovation, Helidon 27, JavaFX 27

Oracle has released version 27 of the Java programming language and virtual machine. As the second non-LTS release since JDK 25, the final feature set includes nine JEPs, five of which are still progressing through the preview and incubator stages. The JEPs in this final feature set are:

This release focuses on strengthening security, future language innovation, and projects under the auspices of the Java Verified Portfolio.

Shown in the graph below, as presented in this blog post by Donald Smith, Vice President of Product Management at Oracle, are the number of cumulative JEPs in each Java release since JDK 8.

Since the release of JDK 24, Oracle has been adding security features that serve as a robust foundation for developers to build more secure applications. As described in this Oracle blog post:

Oracle is executing on a strategy to make post-quantum cryptography (PQC) broadly available across the Java ecosystem with a roadmap that brings standardized PQC algorithms and PQC-enabled TLS to current Long-Term Support (LTS) releases, helping reduce adoption friction for developers and enterprises.

These features include: JEP 496, Quantum-Resistant Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism; JEP 497, Quantum-Resistant Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm; JEP 510, Key Derivation Function API; JEP 527, Post-Quantum Hybrid Key Exchange for TLS 1.3; and JEP 542, PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects (to be finalized in JDK 28).