In a move to future-proof Ethereum against quantum threats, the Ethereum Foundation on January 24, 2026 announced a new Post-Quantum team. The team, led by cryptographer Thomas Coratger and supported by Emile from leanVM, will conduct bi-weekly calls, run a $1 million Poseidon Prize, and develop multi-client consensus devnets to bolster security and resilience. The initiative aims to sustain institutional trust and long-term network viability as quantum timelines accelerate.
Bi-weekly PQ breakout calls, led by Antonio Sanso, will address user-facing security topics such as account abstraction, signature aggregation, and new precompiles through leanVM. A key focus is hash-based cryptography, with the Poseidon Prize established to strengthen the Poseidon hash function and a Proximity Prize as a parallel incentive. Live multi-client PQ consensus devnets are underway with contributions from teams including Lighthouse, Grandine, Prysm, zeamETH, and ReamLabs, and events such as a PQ workshop in October and a PQ day at EthCC in Cannes are planned.
Advances in AI-assisted formal verification are also part of the plan, alongside efforts to publish a full PQ roadmap on pq.ethereum.org for a seamless, zero-downtime transition and zero fund loss. The Ethereum team emphasizes ecosystem engagement, including Coinbase’s PQ advisory board, with the slogan “Ethereum is for quantum resistance” echoing through community discussions. Industry coverage frames the move as a turning point for long-term institutional adoption and resilience, highlighting Ethereum’s engineering, funding, and collaborative approach to navigate the quantum era.
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