‘Time to go full PQ’ – Ethereum Foundation launches post-quantum push

The Ethereum Basis (EF) goes all in on a post-quantum (PQ) period and has unveiled a crew to assist the chain grow to be extra resistant. 

In a press release, EF researcher Justin Drake said that the inspiration has declared PQ a “high safety precedence” and 2026 is the time to go full swing. 

“After years of quiet R&D, EF administration has formally declared PQ safety a high strategic precedence. It’s now 2026, and timelines are accelerating. Time to go full PQ.”

Supply: X/Justin Drake

EF’s post-quantum initiatives

Drake famous that PQ analysis started in 2019, and a number of other breakthroughs have been made. Therefore, it’s time to advance it into Ethereum’s long-term technique. 

To this impact, a brand new PQ crew has been shaped, led by Thomas Coratger with Emile (leanVM). That is being positioned because the spine of Ethereum’s cryptographic PQ future. The crew will maintain bi-weekly conferences to scale user-focused safety for PQ. 

Moreover, EF is betting large on a hash-based cryptography, providing a $1 million money prize to enhance its safety. A part of the assertion learn, 

“$1M Poseidon Prize to harden the Poseidon hash perform. We’re betting large on hash-based cryptography to benefit from the strongest and leanest cryptographic foundations.”

The infrastructure facet of issues can also be progressing easily, with PQ devnets already specializing in a multi-client consensus system. The formal PQ roadmap will likely be shared quickly, in accordance with EF. 

Reacting to the replace, Franklin Bi, Basic Companion at research-driven crypto funding agency Paradigm, said, 

“The post-quantum race begins. If accomplished efficiently & well timed, blockchains can evolve into post-quantum ‘secure havens’ for information & property.”

Supply: X/Franklin Bi 

In 2025, Google and Microsoft made important breakthroughs in quantum computing, a transfer some imagine meant its inherent threat to blockchain’s cryptographic techniques could also be on borrowed time. 

PQ-era – Ethereum vs Bitcoin

Thus far, Solana [SOL] and Ethereum [ETH] have pushed ahead with formal plans to grow to be quantum-resistant. Nonetheless, the Bitcoin neighborhood is cut up on the best way ahead on the difficulty.

Some OG cypherpunks like Adam Again imagine the menace remains to be years or a long time away. Key BTC gamers like Michael Saylor assume that it is going to be “found out” with time.  Others, then again, really feel quantum is a direct threat and is probably going inflicting BTC’s current underperformance towards gold and different metals. 

For his half, analyst Willy Woo believes that Bitcoin’s quantum discussions have been “sluggish,” however have accelerated over the previous few months. 

Supply: X/Willy Woo

But when Bitcoin lags behind Ethereum on PQ, the altcoin will outperform it in investor returns, warned Nic Carter, accomplice at crypto VC agency Fort Island Ventures. 

“ETHBTC should attain 0.1 earlier than BTC devs acknowledge there’s an issue.”

If that’s the case, that might indicate a 200% outperformance for ETH towards BTC, surpassing even the 2021 bull run stage. 

Supply: ETH/BTC ratio, TradingView 

Closing Ideas

• Ethereum Basis unveiled post-quantum period plans, together with a devoted crew, developer networks, and $1 million money for hardening underlying safety.
• Ethereum’s aggressive push to be quantum-resistant might make it outperform BTC by 200% on worth charts.