- Ethereum is targeting a quantum-resistant network by 2029 as the Hegotá upgrade takes shape.
- The Foundation has prioritized two key proposals for the upgrade.
Ethereum is preparing for a major shift in network security as developers target a quantum-resistant Layer 1 by December 2029. The plan is taking shape as the Ethereum Foundation defines the scope of its upcoming Hegotá upgrade.
The Foundation reviewed 62 proposed Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) for Hegotá. Only two received its highest “must ship” rating, highlighting the strict approach developers are taking toward the upgrade.
Ethereum Sets 2029 Quantum-Resistance Target
Around 60 researchers, engineers, and experts from Ethereum’s nine Protocol teams assessed the proposed changes. Their review produced 397 individual grades before disputed proposals were discussed by the teams.
The main goal is to make Ethereum resistant to quantum threats across its execution, consensus, and data layers by December 2029.
The deadline follows similar post-quantum migration targets set by major technology companies, including Google, Cloudflare, and Microsoft. However, the exact timing of a potential “Q-day” remains uncertain.
Q-day refers to the point when quantum computers could become powerful enough to threaten current cryptographic systems.
The Ethereum Foundation is using an aggressive planning timeline. Developers will prepare for the possibility that Q-day arrives as early as 2030. The December 2029 deadline will remain in place until at least January 2027, when researchers plan to reassess quantum computing progress.
Under the current schedule, Glamsterdam is expected in December 2026. Full post-quantum readiness would then require several additional forks.
Hegotá Prioritizes Key Security Changes
Hegotá will not make Ethereum quantum-resistant on its own. Instead, the upgrade is expected to establish the foundation needed for later quantum-security changes.
Two proposals received the highest priority from the Foundation.
FOCIL focuses on transaction inclusion by giving validators more influence over requirements placed on block builders. Frame Transactions targets account abstraction while providing a potential path away from vulnerable secp256k1 keys.
The remaining proposals received different priority levels based on their importance and feasibility.
Fifteen proposals received an A grade and are expected to ship. Eight received a B, while seven received a C. The Foundation declined 28 proposals and left two pending until more mainnet evidence becomes available.
Developers also showed limited interest in adding more consensus-layer changes. Proposals that do not directly support post-quantum readiness face a higher bar for inclusion.
Ethereum Spreads Quantum Security Across Multiple Forks
Ethereum’s approach treats quantum resistance as a long-term process rather than a single network upgrade.
Future forks are expected to address vulnerable cryptography alongside improvements to privacy, state management, faster finality, and mandatory execution proofs.
Vitalik Buterin also outlined Ethereum’s quantum-resistance plans earlier this year. Those plans included replacing vulnerable BLS signatures and expanding account abstraction.
The Ethereum community will have an opportunity to discuss the latest roadmap during a Protocol cluster Reddit AMA on September 16 at 2 p.m. UTC.
For now, Hegotá represents an important step toward Ethereum’s longer-term security goals. The upgrade’s final scope could determine how smoothly the network moves toward its 2029 quantum-resistance target.
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