Ethereum Foundation sets 2029 target for quantum-resistant Layer 1
Regulation & Gov ·
The Foundation has outlined a roadmap toward full post-quantum security by December 2029, beginning with the Hegotá upgrade.
The Ethereum Foundation is targeting full post-quantum security for its Layer 1 protocol by 2029, with an initial phase of changes arriving through an upgrade named Hegotá, according to The Block. The plan calls for the first tranche of protocol changes to focus on account abstraction and censorship resistance rather than quantum defenses themselves, laying groundwork for later stages of the roadmap.
As part of the process, the Foundation graded 62 proposed Ethereum Improvement Proposals for inclusion in Hegotá, determining that only 2 of them were essential to the upgrade, per CryptoPotato. That narrow filtering suggests the initial release will be limited in scope even as the broader quantum-resistance timeline extends out to 2029, with anti-censorship and account-abstraction proposals prioritized over the larger set of candidate changes.
The emphasis on account abstraction and censorship resistance as the starting point, rather than cryptographic overhauls tied directly to quantum threats, indicates the Foundation is sequencing the work: near-term protocol improvements first, with quantum-safe mechanisms to follow as the roadmap matures toward its 2029 completion date, as also noted by WuBlockchain.
Multiple outlets covering the announcement converge on the same framework: a 2029 deadline for quantum resistance, Hegotá as the vehicle for the first round of changes, and a vetting process that reduced dozens of candidate proposals down to a small essential set. The consistency across these reports points to a formal Foundation-driven roadmap rather than a single informal proposal.
What remains unclear is the specific technical design for the eventual quantum-resistant cryptography itself, since the disclosed details so far center on the account abstraction and censorship resistance components rather than the post-quantum mechanisms slated for later phases. Also unresolved is the fuller list of EIPs beyond the 2 marked essential and how many of the remaining 60 proposals, if any, will be incorporated into Hegotá or deferred to subsequent upgrades as the 2029 target approaches.