Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin highlighted quantum resilience as a key element of the network’s long-term roadmap.
This comes amid increasing risks of advances in quantum computing that could potentially undermine current cryptographic systems.
Sponsored Sponsored
Ethereum races towards quantum security
Speaking at the Devconnect conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Buterin outlined Ethereum’s roadmap, including its goals for the next two years and the “Lean Ethereum” theme.
For context, Lean Ethereum was introduced in July as a framework for the long-term development of the network. It focuses on simplicity, security, and efficiency at the base layer of the network. In particular, a key part of that vision is “quantum resistance everywhere,” according to Buterin.
He also warned that the cryptography securing Ethereum (ETH) and Bitcoin (BTC) could be vulnerable to breakthroughs in quantum computing by 2028.
Many experts predict that quantum breakthroughs are still a long way off, but that timeline is currently under scrutiny. Prediction platform Metaculus predicts that quantum computers may be able to factorize RSA numbers. This is until 2034, nearly 20 years earlier than previously predicted.
Some experts have warned that the risks of quantum computing could arrive as early as 2028 to 2033. This comes as advances in quantum hardware rapidly accelerate.
Sponsored Sponsored
In late October, Google announced a major algorithmic advance. The company revealed that it has achieved verifiable quantum superiority for the first time by running an out-of-order time correlator (OTOC) algorithm.
Out-of-order time correlator (OTOC) algorithm refers to a computational algorithm designed to calculate OTOC. OTOC is a special quantum correlation function used to diagnose quantum chaos, scrambling, and information diffusion in many-body systems.
“This is the first time in history that a quantum computer has successfully executed a verifiable algorithm that exceeds the capabilities of a supercomputer. Quantum verifiability means that the result can be repeated on the quantum computer, or any other quantum computer with the same performance, to get the same answer and confirm the result. This repeatable, beyond-classical computation is the basis for scalable verification, bringing quantum computers closer to tools for practical applications,” the blog reads.
At the same time, IBM is also working on the development of IBM Quantum Starling. The company says it has the potential to be “the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.” Delivery to customers is scheduled for 2029.
As quantum development accelerates and timelines compress, Ethereum’s early push for quantum resistance signals broader changes. Blockchain networks may soon need to prepare for a new crypto era, one in which quantum security becomes a baseline requirement rather than a future consideration.
Ethereum roadmap: What does the future hold?
Meanwhile, Buterin added quantum resistance to the list of long-term improvements his team is considering. This includes a zk-friendly VM, zk-friendly hash functions such as Poseidon, formal verification, optimal consensus, and fast finality.
The mid-term (2025-26) roadmap emphasizes scalability such as higher gas limits, upgrades such as EIP-7732, and block-level access lists (which enable parallel processing by nodes) to increase throughput without compromising decentralization.
Looking further ahead (2026-27), Buterin outlined upgrades focused on censorship resistance, decentralization upgrades, and increased account abstraction.
