The Ethereum Foundation’s protocol team has announced a new roadmap, aiming to achieve full quantum-resistant capabilities for the Ethereum mainnet by December 2029. The team stated that they do not want to wait until the quantum threat becomes a reality before taking action, hence they have set an internal deadline.

Covering three major parts of the mainnet

This roadmap covers three aspects of Ethereum's infrastructure: execution, consensus, and data. The foundation plans to first replace the existing vulnerable cryptographic system, and then gradually introduce post-quantum signature schemes to reduce the risks posed by future quantum computers.

Re-evaluation will be conducted in 2027.

The foundation stated that the goal for December 2029 will not be adjusted before January 2027. By then, the team will re-evaluate the progress of quantum computing and then decide on the subsequent pace of advancement.

Upgrade schedule and subsequent arrangements

According to the current plan, Ethereum's next Glamsterdam upgrade is scheduled for December 2026. If one of the routes is followed, a total of 5 hard forks may be required to fully prepare for quantum computing resistance; another route aims to reach the minimum feasible goal at a slower pace of once every 12 months. The foundation also believes that subsequent Hegot upgrades are important prerequisites for achieving this goal.