Ethereum dev targets 2028 for quantum resistance, a year early

Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake is targeting December 2028 to complete Ethereum’s post-quantum and post-AI transition, a year earlier than the foundation’s previously announced quantum-resistance deadline.

Speaking at Devcon 8 in Mumbai on Tuesday, Drake outlined the accelerated timeline. “Our hope is that by December 2028 we’ll be able to wrap up the full post-quantum and post-AI transition,” Drake said, adding that developers have 24 months to deliver three additional network upgrades.

The Ethereum Foundation’s September roadmap established December 2029 as its deadline for achieving quantum resistance across Ethereum’s execution, consensus and data layers.

Drake’s remarks signal a more ambitious timeline but do not formally replace the foundation’s existing roadmap, which is scheduled for reassessment in January 2027.

In August, Drake outlined plans for production-ready leanVM technology in 2027, followed by post-quantum deployments across Ethereum’s three layers in 2028.

The timeline has drawn scrutiny from other blockchain developers. In October, Starknet’s community backed research into becoming an independent post-quantum layer-1 network.

StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson previously told Cointelegraph that Ethereum’s 2029 target was “too late,” warning that deadlines could slip.

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