Some parts of the roadmap are not about scaling or securing Ethereum right now. They are about making Ethereum stable and reliable far into the future. This means preparing for new kinds of threats and removing unnecessary complexity from the protocol.
Quantum resistance
Ethereum uses to keep the network secure and protect user funds. Eventually, some of these cryptographic methods will be vulnerable to quantum computers, which can solve specific mathematical problems exponentially faster than classical machines.
No quantum computer can break Ethereum's cryptography today. The hardware required does not yet exist at scale. But recent research suggests the gap is closing faster than previously expected. In March 2026, Google Quantum AI published a paper estimating that breaking 256-bit elliptic curve cryptography (the type Ethereum uses for account signatures) could require roughly 1,200 logical qubits, about 20 times fewer than earlier estimates. Google has set a 2029 internal deadline for migrating its own systems to quantum-safe cryptography.
Cryptographic transitions take years to plan and execute safely. Because Ethereum's security model is designed to last decades, post-quantum preparation was in Ethereum's roadmap before it was in mainstream headlines. Network preparation is happening now to ensure a seamless transition, not as a reaction to an emergency.
What is at risk?
Four primary areas of Ethereum's cryptography have been identified as requiring post-quantum upgrades:
- Consensus signatures (BLS): use BLS signatures to vote on valid . A quantum computer could forge these signatures.
- Data availability (KZG commitments): The commitment schemes that help Ethereum scale rely on math (specifically, elliptic curve pairing) that is vulnerable to quantum attacks.
- Account signatures (ECDSA): The signature scheme that protects individual Ethereum accounts. When an account sends a transaction, its public key is exposed onchain. A quantum computer could derive the private key from this exposed public key, potentially allowing theft of funds.
- Application-layer ZK-proofs: Zero-knowledge proof systems used by rollups and other applications rely on cryptographic assumptions that quantum computers could undermine.
What is being done?
Ethereum is currently the most proactive defender against quantum threats in the blockchain ecosystem. The Ethereum Foundation formed a dedicated Post-Quantum Security team in January 2026, and active work spans across multiple client teams and research groups. The EF Post-Quantum team's work is tracked publicly at pq.ethereum.org (opens in a new tab).
Active work includes:
- Hash-based signatures (leanXMSS): A quantum-safe replacement for validator signatures, built on hash functions that quantum computers cannot efficiently break.
- Minimal zkVM (leanVM): Because quantum-safe signatures are larger than the signatures currently used, leanXMSS is paired with a minimal zkVM (leanVM). This engine aggregates quantum-safe signatures efficiently, compressing the data by 250x, so the network remains fast after the transition.
- Weekly interop testing: More than 10 client teams participate in regular post-quantum devnets.
- Data availability: Upgrading the underlying cryptography used to handle large amounts of network data will ensure Ethereum stays fast and affordable to use without risking future quantum vulnerabilities.
- Poseidon Prize: A $1 million research prize targeting improvements in hash-based cryptographic primitives.
- NIST standards: The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology finalized three post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024 (ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA). Ethereum's work builds on these foundations.
A key part of the transition strategy is EIP-8141, which introduces native account abstraction. This allows individual accounts to choose their own signature verification, meaning users could switch to quantum-safe signatures without waiting for a single protocol-wide migration. EIP-8141 is being considered for the Hegotá hard fork (planned for second half of 2026).
The Ethereum Foundation has outlined structured fork milestones targeting completion of core post-quantum infrastructure by approximately 2029. These are planning targets, not guaranteed commitments.
Read our detailed guide to post-quantum cryptography on Ethereum
Simpler and more efficient Ethereum
Complexity creates opportunities for bugs and vulnerabilities. Part of the roadmap focuses on simplifying Ethereum and removing technical debt so the protocol is easier to maintain, audit, and reason about.
What has been delivered
Several recent upgrades have made Ethereum simpler and more efficient:
- Pectra (May 2025): Introduced EIP-7702, which lets externally owned accounts temporarily delegate to smart contract code, a stepping stone toward full account abstraction. Also added the BLS12-381 precompile (EIP-2537), onchain deposit handling (EIP-6110), historical block hash access in the EVM (EIP-2935), and increased the maximum effective balance for validators (EIP-7251).
- Fusaka (December 2025): Deployed PeerDAS (EIP-7594), a peer-to-peer data availability sampling system that distributes the data availability workload across the network. Also increased blob parameters, expanding data throughput for .
- Dencun (March 2024): Introduced blob transactions (EIP-4844) for cheaper rollup data and restricted
SELFDESTRUCT(EIP-6780) to remove a long-standing source of complexity. - London (August 2021): Overhauled pricing with EIP-1559, introducing a base fee and burn mechanism for more predictable transaction costs.
What is in progress
- Glamsterdam (planned first half of 2026): Being considered for inclusion: enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732), block-level access lists (EIP-7928), and gas repricing to better align costs with actual resource usage.
- Hegotá (planned second half of 2026): Being considered for inclusion: Verkle Trees, replacing the current data structure with a more efficient one that enables stateless clients. Also targeted for EIP-8141 (native account abstraction).
- Ongoing: Efforts to simplify the EVM, harmonize client implementations, and phase out deprecated features continue across the Ethereum development community.
Current progress
As of early 2026:
Simplification and efficiency: Pectra and Fusaka delivered real improvements in account flexibility, data availability, and validator operations. Glamsterdam and Hegotá are in active development with clear targets to make the network more resilient and efficient, while removing external dependencies.
Post-quantum cryptography: Active research and early implementation are underway. The ecosystem has funded research prizes and runs weekly interop devnets across multiple clients, in addition to the research done by the Ethereum Foundation's dedicated Post-Quantum team. While the structured fork milestones target approximately 2029 for completion, early research is producing tangible proof points demonstrating that post-quantum execution is viable today.
Account abstraction and signature agility: EIP-7702 shipped in Pectra. EIP-8141, being considered for Hegotá, will allow accounts to use any signature scheme, giving users a path to adopt quantum-safe signatures before the full protocol transition is complete.
No part of this work is finished. Timelines are targets, not guarantees. But the scope and pace of active development represent a clear commitment to keeping Ethereum secure and efficient for the long term.
Further reading
- Post-quantum cryptography on Ethereum
- strawmap.org (opens in a new tab) - EF Architecture
- pq.ethereum.org (opens in a new tab)
- Gas
- EVM
- Data structures
Page last update: April 14, 2025
