Ethlabs, the nonprofit Ethereum research lab founded by former Ethereum Foundation (EF) researchers, wants the network’s core developers to put one goal ahead of everything else on the roadmap: making Ethereum resistant to quantum computers and, as far as possible, to AI-driven attacks, by 2027.
In a post on the Ethereum Magicians forum published Nov. 11 the group named the target “pqai27” and said it would withdraw its own quick-slots proposal, which would shorten Ethereum’s block times, from Hegota, the hard fork planned after Glamsterdam, Ethereum’s next upgrade, to free up its resources. “We don’t take this decision lightly,” Ethlabs wrote in the post. Changing Hegota’s scope needs agreement on All Core Devs (ACD), the developer calls where Ethereum upgrade decisions are made.
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Why ‘Post-AI’ Joins Post-Quantum
Ethlabs argues both threats point to the same fix: cryptography built on hash functions, which leans on fewer mathematical assumptions. Conor Deegan, CTO of quantum-security firm Project Eleven, said on Unchained last month that “if you’re focusing your post-quantum migration, you’re already kind of focusing on your post-AI migration as well.”
The post cites quantum timelines moving up, saying the US government pulled its quantum-risk goal from 2035 to 2030 and that Google aims to be post-quantum by 2029, along with AI models solving open math problems and finding software bugs at scale.
At the opening ceremony of Devcon, Ethereum’s annual developer conference, EF researcher Justin Drake said the hope is to “wrap up the full post-quantum and post-AI transition” by December 2028.
What Would Change in Hegota
Ethlabs splits the goal into two stages. A “pqai-ready” Ethereum would have post-quantum consensus and a post-quantum route for every account, running at the capacity Glamsterdam delivers.
The post proposes scheduling FOCIL (Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists), a censorship-resistance feature now slated as a Hegota headliner, only in a way that keeps 2027 achievable. Frames (EIP-8141), an account upgrade that would carry a post-quantum signature scheme, stays on the critical path. Whether to make Gasper, Ethereum’s current consensus protocol, post-quantum or switch to a new design is still unresolved, according to the post.
Ethlabs urged developers this week to hold off on a Glamsterdam decision until audits of possible contract breakage are done.
The withdrawal reverses Ethlabs’ September push to include quick slots, Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 8198, which would cut block times from 12 seconds to 10 as a first step, in Hegota. The lab said it still backs the idea and “will work towards quicker slots in 2028.”
Related Listen: One Type of Post-Quantum Cryptography Is Most Popular. Why Is Crypto Trying Out Three?
