The Ethereum Foundation aims to make the network's base layer quantum-resistant across execution, consensus, and data. The organization is planning for the arrival of 'Q-day' as early as 2030, a timeline that aligns with migration schedules set by Google, Microsoft, and Cloudflare.
The December 2029 deadline is considered non-negotiable until January 2027, when external experts will reassess the progress of quantum computing. According to Project Eleven, approximately 65% of ETH is currently held in addresses that are vulnerable to quantum attacks.
The Hegotá hard fork will serve as the first test for this transition. Achieving full resistance by the end of 2029 requires an average of 7.2 months per fork across five remaining hard forks, a pace described by the Protocol cluster as aggressive.
Key technical updates include Frame Transactions to enable new signature schemes and EIP-8298 and EIP-8151 to allow accounts to move away from secp256k1 master keys. Additionally, EIP-8365 will begin retiring validator withdrawal credentials linked to vulnerable cryptography.