Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake has set an ambitious timeline for the network’s transition to post-quantum and post-AI security standards, calling on developers to deliver three major hard forks within a 24-month window following the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade. Speaking at Devcon 8 in Mumbai on Tuesday, Drake emphasized the importance of completing these upgrades by December 2028—one year ahead of the foundation’s official December 2029 target.
Network security faces quantum, AI challenges
The December 2029 deadline traces back to a September post on Ethereum’s protocol priorities, which outlined plans to render the network’s execution, consensus, and data layers fully resistant to theoretical advances in quantum computing. According to the foundation’s timeline, a minimum of five coordinated hard forks following the Glamsterdam upgrade will be required to reach full post-quantum readiness.
With Glamsterdam tentatively scheduled for December 2026, the proposed cadence would demand a fork approximately every 7.2 months through the end of 2029. However, Drake’s plan envisions three forks in just two years, targeted for completion by December 2028 at a pace of one fork every eight months.
The Ethereum Foundation stated in September that its December 2029 deadline is “non-negotiable at least until January 2027,” with a comprehensive review of quantum computing developments and outside expert input scheduled for that month.
Drake mapped out the challenge at Devcon 8, expressing hope that “by December 2028 we’ll be able to wrap up the full post-quantum and post-AI transition.”
A fallback option of annual hard forks would enable Ethereum to meet the minimum viable post-quantum standard by December 2029 if exceptional progress proves difficult.
Hash-based cryptography set for 2028 rollout
Drake previously stated in August that LeanVM technology could be production-ready in 2027, serving as the technical foundation for post-quantum upgrades across all layers of the network by the following year. These upgrades will rely on hash-based signature schemes, which are generally regarded as quantum-resistant.
One proposed method, leanSPHINCS, would be used for signing Ethereum transactions, replacing current validator and user account signature schemes. At present, validators use BLS signatures, while user accounts rely on ECDSA; both employ elliptic-curve cryptography viewed as vulnerable to future quantum computing breakthroughs.
EIP-8365 is already starting the transition by phasing out the use of BLS keys for certain validator withdrawal settings, anticipating eventual upgrades throughout Ethereum’s validator infrastructure.
Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, previously cautioned that rapid advancements in AI-driven mathematics could weaken lattice-based cryptography, the leading alternative for post-quantum signatures, potentially within two years. He nonetheless urged crypto users not to migrate funds hastily.
Postponement of Glamsterdam’s testnet rollout due to identified gas-accounting issues has decreased the likelihood of a full mainnet deployment occurring in December. This could impact the overall upgrade schedule, as successful testnet validation is required before mainnet activation.
Keeping pace with rapid upgrade cycles
As the Ethereum development community faces shorter upgrade intervals and shifting timelines, investors and developers may find it increasingly challenging to track milestones and security enhancements in real time. For those focused on monitoring fork releases, new cryptographic protocols, and evolving security frameworks, CryptoAppsy enables users to set custom alerts and follow network news as it happens, providing targeted updates on Ethereum’s protocol changes and cryptography advancements.
