The Ethereum Foundation has officially moved post-quantum security from an abstract research topic to a core strategic priority, launching a dedicated Post-Quantum (PQ) team to harden the protocol against the cryptographic dangers posed by future quantum computers.
For years, the looming threat of quantum computing — machines capable of breaking today’s encryption standards — has hovered at the edge of blockchain conversations. But in 2026, that theoretical horizon started to look much closer. Instead of leaving this risk to academia and distant planning, Ethereum’s leadership is pivoting into action with a coordinated engineering push. The aim: make the network’s security stack resistant to attacks that, in decades past, were dismissed as speculative.
Leading the effort is cryptographic engineer Thomas Coratger, backed by Emile, a key contributor to the leanVM cryptographic project. The newly formed team is not just about papers; it’s about execution. That includes running live post-quantum testnets, hosting regular developer sessions focused on future-proof transaction formats, and building tooling that can be deployed at scale without disrupting the vast ecosystem already running on Ethereum.
Security Researcher Justin Drake says quantum has to be a priority, source: X
Part of this push includes financial incentives and community engagement. Ethereum has earmarked multi-million-dollar prize programs targeting breakthroughs in quantum-resistant primitives — particularly around hash functions and cryptographic constructs that could replace vulnerable elliptic curve schemes. These incentives signal that the Foundation wants broad participation from cryptographers, researchers, and developers, not just a handful of internal engineers.
This strategy shift reflects a broader truth about blockchain security: waiting until quantum computers are powerful enough to break current cryptography would be too late. Migrating an entire global network of wallets, smart contracts, and validators to new cryptographic systems takes years, if not decades. By starting now, Ethereum is trying to stay ahead of that curve — ensuring that billions of dollars in value and decades of innovation aren’t left exposed to future cryptographic collapse.
In short, the Foundation’s post-quantum initiative isn’t a defensive posture or an academic exercise. It’s a forward-leaning defensive strategy, acknowledging that blockchain longevity means planning for the threats of the next generation of computing — not just the ones we see today.
Upgrading systems takes years, so it is up to researchers to act early. One behind‑the‑scenes effort – known as Project 11 Q‑Day Clock – is tracing the countdown to when quantum computers might begin to compromise today’s cryptographic systems. While the timeline remains unclear, Project 11’s internal metrics suggest the window for transition is much closer than expected.