Ethereum Dev Targets Quantum Resistance for December 2028
Ethereum researcher Justin Drake expressed his hope that Ethereum will achieve its post-quantum and post-AI transition by December 2028, a year ahead of the foundation's initial deadline.
During Devcon 8 in Mumbai, Drake shared an accelerated timeline, stating, “Our hope is that by December 2028 we’ll be able to complete the full post-quantum and post-AI transition.” He added that developers have 24 months to deliver three additional network upgrades.
Initially, the Ethereum Foundation set December 2029 as the target for achieving quantum resistance across all layers of Ethereum. However, Drake's remarks propose a more ambitious schedule.
Despite this accelerated timeline, Drake's statement does not supersede the foundation's existing roadmap, which is set for reassessment in January 2027. Previously, Drake had outlined plans for production-ready leanVM technology in 2027, followed by post-quantum deployments across all three layers in 2028.
This timeline has sparked discussions among blockchain developers, with Starknet's community supporting research to become an independent post-quantum layer-1 network as early as possible. StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson had previously criticized Ethereum's 2029 target as too late, expressing concerns about potential deadline slips.