Ethereum Foundation prioritizes post-quantum security, forms a new team, accelerates roadmap execution, and funds quantum-resistant cryptography initiatives globally.
The Ethereum Foundation has elevated post-quantum security as a core strategic priority for the network’s future. Accordingly, it announced the setting up of a separate Post Quantum security team in 2026. The move is driven by growing urgency around quantum computing threats and resilience of protocols over the long term.
Ethereum Foundation Elevates Post-Quantum Security Strategy
The newly formed Post Quantum team will be directed by a cryptographic engineer, Thomas Coratger. He will be backed by Emile, a cryptographer who is closely tied to leanVM development. Crypto researcher Justin Drake confirmed the leadership structure in a public statement.
Today marks an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation's long-term quantum strategy.
We've formed a new Post Quantum (PQ) team, led by the brilliant Thomas Coratger (@tcoratger). Joining him is Emile, one of the world-class talents behind leanVM. leanVM is the cryptographic…
— Justin Drake (@drakefjustin) January 23, 2026
Drake said that management of Ethereum has gone from research to active engineering. He said that post-quantum security is now a top level strategic issue. According to Drake, internal timelines are speeding up with quantum capabilities accelerating around the world.
LeanVM has been identified as part of Ethereum’s post-quantum foundation. The zero-knowledge virtual machine of minimalism supports a scalable cryptographical proof. As a result, it is placed as a cornerstone for future quantum-resistant transaction systems.
Ethereum’s work on post-quantum computing is said to have started all the way back in 2019, when early research presentations started. Since 2024, quantum resistance has been the primary focus of the lean Ethereum vision. Engineering progress has reportedly become much faster since then.
The foundation affirmed the establishment of organized developer coordination. Bi-weekly All Core Developers calls will now feature post quantum transactions discussions. These sessions will cover account abstraction, precompile and signature aggregation.
In addition, Ethereum has enabled post-quantum consensus devnets that have multi clients. There are several independent teams involved in addition to the established consensus clients. Weekly interoperability calls are helping coordinate these efforts throughout the ecosystem.
Funding, Roadmap, and Industry Implications
To bolster the foundations of cryptography, the Ethereum Foundation announced two $1 million research incentives. Such are the Poseidon Prize and the Proximity Prize. Both initiatives are aimed towards promoting hash-based and quantum-resistant cryptography.
The Poseidon Prize is focused on in particular hardening the Poseidon hash function. Hash-based cryptography is considered to provide robust security for lean performance. These investments are indicative of long term commitment to protocol level protection.
Educational outreach is also growing along with engineering work. A six-part video series about Ethereum’s post quantum strategy is in the works. Additional materials are being prepared for enterprises and the government.
Workshops will also facilitate ecosystem alignment and research collaboration. A three-day post quantum event is scheduled for October. Another dedicated session will be held in Cannes in advance of EthCC on March 29.
The urgency behind these efforts is a result of growing concern over cryptographic durability. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has previously raised the specter of quantum threats before. He put the probability of a cryptography compromise before 2030 at 20%.
While immediate threats still exist theoretically, Ethereum is determined not to face reactive upgrades. Instead, the foundation is working on the gradual transition without downtime. A protecting user funds is still a stated priority.
Post-quantum resistance is now integrated into Ethereum’s long-term roadmap. Future phases, including upgrades often associated with Ethereum 3.0, are up for deployment around 2027. Such plans comprise zk-STARKs and advanced signature schemes.
In conclusion, Ethereum’s post quantum initiative is a strong move toward future-proof security. The establishment of a dedicated team demonstrates the strategic need for action. As the research on quantum advances, Ethereum is moving ahead of looming risks.