Ethereum aims to be safe from quantum computers by late 2028

What happened. Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake said: "Our hope is that by December 2028 we'll be able to wrap up the full post-quantum and post-AI transition." He said there are 24 months and three more network upgrades to get there (Cointelegraph, Incrypted).

What came before. In September 2026 the EF protocol team published a plan: Ethereum should resist quantum attacks across all three layers by December 2029. Those layers are execution (transactions), consensus (validators) and data. The EF wrote that it treats this deadline as fixed at least until January 2027, when it will review progress. Drake's words do not change the official plan yet.

What changes. Per Incrypted, the ECDSA signature in transactions is to be replaced with leanSphincs, the validators' BLS signature with leanXMSS, and KZG on the data layer with leanDA. All of it rests on hash functions, which are considered resistant to quantum computers. A hash function turns any data into a short fingerprint that cannot be reversed.

Why the rush. Q-Day is the day a quantum computer can break today's cryptography. The EF's September plan says to prepare for it as early as 2030. Per Incrypted, Drake's own base case is 2032, with a 10% chance it happens before 2029. These are his estimates, not facts.

Who this affects. ETH holders, validators, and wallet and app developers. Drake estimates, per Incrypted, that 72% of ETH sits on addresses that have already signed transactions. He suggests thinking about moving funds to a fresh address that has never signed anything. There is no emergency: the EF says the quantum threat is not imminent.

What we do not know. Whether the EF adopts the new date officially in January 2027. When exactly the next upgrade, Glamsterdam, ships: in September the EF said December 2026, while the talk, per Incrypted, mentioned January 2027. Whether three hard forks fit into 24 months.

Confirmed facts

• Justin Drake of the Ethereum Foundation said the team hopes to finish the post-quantum transition by December 2028.^[2][3]
• The EF's September roadmap targets quantum resistance across all three layers by December 2029.^[1]
• The EF holds the December 2029 deadline fixed at least until January 2027, when it will review progress.^[1][2]
• Drake allows 24 months and three network upgrades for the transition.^[2][3]
• The EF's September plan says to prepare for Q-Day as early as 2030.^[1]
• Planned swaps: ECDSA to leanSphincs, BLS to leanXMSS, KZG to leanDA.^[3]
• Drake estimates 72% of ETH sits on addresses that have already signed transactions.^[3]

Implications

• ConfirmedThe EF's official target is still December 2029. 2028 is a researcher's hope.
• Our readingUsers with old addresses will likely need to move funds or switch account type at some point. That is our reading, no dates yet.
• Our readingWallets and apps will need to support the new signatures. That is our reading of the EF plan.

Still unknown

• Whether the EF adopts December 2028 in January 2027
• The exact date of the Glamsterdam upgrade
• When a quantum computer able to break crypto will actually exist

Who it affects

Global. ETH holders, validators and wallet developers

Sources

1. Ethereum Foundation: Protocol priorities September 7, 2026 · official
2. Cointelegraph: Ethereum dev targets 2028 for quantum resistance, a year early November 4, 2026 · media
3. Incrypted: Ethereum Foundation планирует перейти на постквантовую криптографию до конца 2028 года November 4, 2026 · media