Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum (ETH) will obtain quantum resistance quickly by way of post-quantum hash-based signatures within the Strawmap, a four-year Layer 1 (L1) improve plan.
Why it issues:
- Quantum computer systems might break Ethereum’s present encryption; hash-based signatures would shut that hole earlier than the risk arrives.
- Buterin’s affirmation strikes quantum resistance from a analysis matter to a scheduled Ethereum improve goal.
- The Strawmap’s six-month fork schedule means quantum-resistant slots might ship throughout the plan’s first two upgrades.
The main points:
- Buterin confirmed the timeline by way of X on February 26, 2026, citing the Ethereum Basis’s Strawmap.
- The Strawmap was printed at strawmap.org after an Ethereum Basis workshop in January 2026.
- The identify blends “strawman” and “roadmap,” that means the plan is experimental and constructed to be revised.
- The four-year plan targets ~7 forks each six months; Glamsterdam and Hegotá are confirmed for 2026.
- Buterin additionally proposed chopping block time to 2 seconds and finality from ~16 minutes to six–16 seconds.
The massive image:
- Bitcoin and Solana ecosystems are additionally operating post-quantum analysis, making it a rising precedence throughout blockchains.
- A set six-month fork schedule marks a quicker, extra structured improve cadence for Ethereum’s L1.
- The Strawmap is explicitly a draft — timelines, together with quantum resistance, might shift as growth progresses.
