Ethereum Steps Up Post-Quantum Security Efforts With New Team, Funding, and Developer Initiatives

The Ethereum ecosystem is accelerating preparations for a future shaped by quantum computing, as the Ethereum Foundation (EF) unveils a dedicated team, new funding, and a series of initiatives aimed at safeguarding the network’s cryptography in the decades ahead.

The Foundation confirmed the creation of a Post-Quantum (PQ) security team, elevating quantum resilience to a top-tier priority on Ethereum’s long-term roadmap. The group will be led by EF cryptographic engineer Thomas Coratger, with additional support from Emile, a researcher linked to the development of the minimalist zkVM known as leanVM.

Crypto researcher Justin Drake shared the update publicly, noting that years of behind-the-scenes research have culminated in a formal commitment to preparing Ethereum for the quantum era. “Timelines are accelerating,” he wrote. “Time to go full PQ.”

A New Phase of Quantum-Focused Development

The Foundation is pairing its organizational shift with both technical and educational initiatives. Beginning next month, Ethereum researcher Antonio Sanso will host biweekly developer sessions dedicated to post-quantum transactions. These sessions will explore practical protections for users, including:

• Protocol-level cryptographic upgrades

• Account-abstraction paths supporting PQ-safe keys

• Long-term work on aggregated transaction signatures using leanVM

Drake highlighted leanVM as a potentially important piece of Ethereum’s post-quantum architecture, suggesting the minimalist zkVM could help facilitate PQ-resistant verification at scale.

Major Funding to Support Post-Quantum Research

To reinforce its commitment, the Ethereum Foundation has earmarked $2 million for new cryptographic research.
This includes:

• A $1 million Poseidon Prize aimed at strengthening the Poseidon hash function

• A $1 million Proximity Prize to support new breakthroughs in post-quantum cryptography

Developers across the ecosystem are already testing PQ concepts in practice. According to Drake, multi-client post-quantum consensus devnets are live today, with engineering teams coordinating through weekly interoperability calls.

The Foundation will also expand community engagement with a dedicated post-quantum event in October, followed by a PQ-themed day ahead of EthCC in March. Enterprise-focused educational materials, including video explainers, are currently in development.

Industry Response: Coinbase Launches Quantum Risk Board

Ethereum’s announcement arrives amid rising industry-wide concern about the long-term impact of quantum advancements on blockchain security.

Earlier this week, Coinbase disclosed that it has formed an independent advisory board to assess how rapidly advancing quantum computing could threaten cryptographic systems that secure networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The board includes experts from quantum research, cryptography, and blockchain security, and plans to publish guidance and public research beginning in early 2027.

While practical quantum attacks remain years away, both developers and institutions are making clear that preparation must begin now. For Ethereum, the push toward PQ-resilience marks one of the most significant security-focused shifts since the network’s early years, aimed at ensuring that the world’s largest smart-contract platform remains secure well into the quantum era.