Vitalik Buterin has warned that quantum computing could threaten core parts of Ethereum as the Ethereum Foundation introduced its long-term ‘Strawmap’.
The roadmap includes planned upgrades through 2029 and focuses on quantum resistance, faster finality and higher throughput.
The proposal outlines gradual protocol changes without disrupting the network.
Quantum Risks in Ethereum Layers
Vitalik Buterine identified four areas where quantum computing could pose risks to Ethereum.
These include BLS signatures in consensus and KZG data availability commitments.
He also cited ECDSA signatures for external accounts and certain application layer evidence. He stated that each part can be replaced step by step.
Now the roadmap for quantum resistance.
Today, four things in Ethereum are quantum vulnerable:
* BLS signatures at consensus layer
* availability of data (KZG commitments + evidence)
* EOA signatures (ECDSA)
* Application layer ZK proofs (KZG or groth16)We can tackle this step by step:…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 26, 2026
He proposed replacing BLS signatures with hash-based signatures such as Winternitz variants. He added that STARKs could support aggregation under a lean consensus model.
Before Ethereum is finalized, Ethereum may adopt a lean available chain with fewer signatures per lock. This approach would reduce aggregation pressure.
Buterin noted that the choice of hash function remains critical for security and speed. He said traditional hashes may be too slow for this purpose.
Vitalik also mentioned Poseidon2 and BLAKE3 as possible options. He explained that any choice must strike a balance between performance and safety.
Ethereum Strawmap and Upgrade Timeline
Researcher Justin Drake presented the Ethereum Strawmap as a coordination framework.
The plan outlines seven expected forks through 2029. It assumes a six-month upgrade cycle. The roadmap includes consensus, data and implementation layers.
✴️🔷 A Leading Researcher at the Ethereum Foundation Unveils ‘Strawmap’ – A Decade-long Experimental Roadmap to Restructure Ethereum
Justin Drake, a leading researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, has introduced an experimental roadmap titled ‘Strawmap’, which includes a comprehensive… pic.twitter.com/TUZbERGlQe
— ALLDEX (@alldexone) February 27, 2026
The Strawmap sets five core goals for the future development of Ethereum. These include fast Layer 1 performance and post-quantum security.
It also focuses on gigagas throughput on Layer 1 and tegas scaling on Layer 2. Private Layer 1 transfers are also listed.
The roadmap projects 10,000 transactions per second at Layer 1. It also targets 10 million transactions per second in Layer 2 networks.
The finality could be between six and sixteen seconds using a one-round BFT algorithm called Minimmit. The slot times can gradually decrease from 12 seconds to two seconds.
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Account abstraction and evidence changes
For external accounts, Buterin referred to native account abstraction under EIP-8141.
This design would allow accounts to use quantum-resistant signature schemes. He noted that hash-based signatures currently require about 200,000 gases to verify. ECDSA verification costs approximately 3,000 gas.
He also discussed roster-based signings as another option. Currently they verify inefficiently Ethereum.
Proposed vectorized math precompiles could improve efficiency. These would support operations such as number theoretic transformations and dot products.
Zero-knowledge proof systems face similar cost issues. A ZK-SNARK consumes up to 500,000 gas for verification.
A quantum-resistant STARK may require almost 10 million gas. Buterin said validation frames under EIP-8141 could enable off-chain aggregation. Verified bundles can then be posted as evidence at the block level.
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