Ethlabs said it would abandon its fast block production work for Hegotá and dedicate its resources to the goal, while proposing to move Ethereum’s post-quantum security target up to 2027.
In a proposal shared on the Ethereum Magicians forum, Ethlabs called for its initiative, named “pqai27,” to prioritize post-quantum security readiness. The group argues that artificial intelligence is making the timeline for quantum and cryptography risks uncertain.
The Ethereum Foundation had previously set a target of December 2029 for the network’s full post-quantum readiness. Ethlabs also cited the U.S. government’s move to bring its target for quantum risks forward from 2035 to 2030, as well as Google’s announced post-quantum readiness target for 2029, as reasons to act sooner.
Ethlabs defines its 2027 target for Ethereum in two phases
The first phase in the group’s proposal, “pqai-ready,” calls for Ethereum’s consensus mechanism to transition to post-quantum security and for users to have a way to migrate their accounts to that security. The network would continue operating at scaled capacity during this phase.
The second phase, called “pqai-scaled,” aims for the network to process post-quantum transactions at full capacity and ensure data availability. To build a structure that is more resilient to artificial intelligence, Ethlabs advocates relying on as few assumptions as possible in cryptography, auditing software with formal verification methods, and using different client software.
This change in priorities also affects Ethlabs’ own work. The group will withdraw its quick slots proposal for the Hegotá upgrade and dedicate its resources to pqai27. Quick slots were intended to produce blocks more quickly. Ethlabs said the community had shown interest in the proposal and that the decision to withdraw it was not easy.
Not investment advice.