You may be able to help influence it at https://github.com/ircv3/ircv3-specifications/issues

It does not require encrypted connections, although it does have extensions to indicate that future connections should occur over TLS (through the optional `tls` extension in IRCv3.1) and there is discussion for standardizing IRC over SCTP in IRCv3.3

You mean the IRCv3? I believe encrypted connection is still optional.

You might want SILC, but it is pretty much dead.