Ethereum Targets 2029 for Quantum Resistance

The Ethereum Foundation has set its sights on making Ethereum's base layer quantum-resistant by December 2029, covering execution, consensus, and data. The self-imposed deadline is non-negotiable until January 2027, when progress in quantum computing will be reassessed with outside experts.

The target involves three protocol layers: execution, consensus, and data. Full readiness is intended to protect Ethereum's base layer, which would require an average interval of 7.2 months between hard forks. This pace is described as aggressive, requiring research, specifications, client implementation, and testing to overlap across multiple forks.

A minimum safeguard provides a second track with post-quantum protection at the J* milestone. Components include a post-quantum heartbeat for consensus and leanDA sampling for data availability. The cluster said researchers are still defining what reduced guarantees would entail for this contingency.