Ethereum Plans to Advance Its Post-Quantum Transition to 2027

• The proposal contemplates that Ethereum will operate at reduced capacity if its current cryptography is compromised.
• Ethlabs proposes to remove Quick Slots, which would reduce Ethereum's block time from 12 to 10 seconds.

The race to keep cryptocurrency networks secure could force Ethereum to change the order of its priorities. Ethlabs presented a proposal on November 11 to accelerate the network's preparation against technological threats that could compromise current cryptographic systems.

The plan, dubbed <>, aims to advance to 2027 the goal of resilience against quantum computing and the associated risks of artificial intelligence. The initiative arose after a week of meetings with key developers during Devcon 8, held in Mumbai, India.

Ethlabs argues that advancements in artificial intelligence are accelerating both the search for computer vulnerabilities and mathematical research. As an example, it cites a work by OpenAI that allowed the identification and correction of nearly 1,000 vulnerabilities in Linux using an advanced AI model.

The lab also warns that advancements in quantum computing could arrive sooner than expected. It notes that the U.S. government has moved its timeline for addressing quantum risks from 2035 to 2030, while Google aims to complete its transition to quantum-resistant systems by 2029.

The proposal establishes two levels of preparedness. The first, called <>, would allow for the incorporation of a consensus resistant to quantum attacks and provide each user with a way to migrate their account to protected signature systems. If the current cryptography were to become insecure before the transition is complete, Ethereum could continue to operate, albeit with reduced capacity.

The second level, <>, aims to maintain full processing capacity through transactions and data availability mechanisms that are also resistant to quantum computing. This is the expanded goal that Ethlabs hopes to achieve by 2027.

To meet this timeline, the lab proposes to reorganize the planned changes for the Hegotá update. Among them, it seeks to maintain Frames (EIP-8141), a proposal that would allow for more flexible authorization rules for Ethereum accounts, as explained in CriptoNoticias. Instead, it proposes to remove Quick Slots, an improvement that would reduce the time between blocks from 12 to 10 seconds. It also conditions the inclusion of FOCIL, a proposal aimed at strengthening resistance to censorship, on it not delaying the transition.

Another pending point is to decide whether it is advisable to adapt Gasper, the current consensus mechanism, or to move towards a decoupled consensus system. To achieve full capacity, improvements in signature aggregation and data availability would also be necessary. The Glamsterdam update would continue as planned.

For now, the plan does not have the approval of the key developers. The roadmap published by the Ethereum Foundation maintained December 2029 as the target for completing quantum resistance, although Justin Drake expressed during Devcon his expectation of advancing it to December 2028.

The debate goes beyond replacing algorithms: Ethereum needs to coordinate the migration of users, validators, and developers without compromising its operation. If it succeeds, security could become an advantage to attract institutions and protect the value stored in its infrastructure.

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