• Ethlabs proposed accelerating Ethereum’s post-quantum upgrade and reaching readiness for new cryptographic threats in 2027.
  • The initiative is called pqai27 and aims to protect not only against quantum computers, but also against threats tied to advances in AI.
  • To do this, the company proposes revisiting the priorities of the upcoming Hegotá hard fork and postponing the rollout of fast slots.

Ethlabs has proposed accelerating Ethereum’s transition to post-quantum security and making the network resilient to potential threats from artificial intelligence as early as 2027. The initiative, dubbed pqai27, was presented on the Ethereum Magicians forum following discussions with core developers at Devcon.

According to Ethlabs representatives, advances in AI are bringing forward the timeline for cryptographic threats. Today’s models already help solve complex mathematical problems and uncover software vulnerabilities. In the company’s view, this makes it harder to predict when existing cryptographic mechanisms could become unreliable.

Ethlabs Calls to Accelerate Ethereum’s Post-Quantum Transition

In the post, the company noted that quantum threats could emerge sooner than expected. In particular, the US government moved its target deadline for addressing quantum risks from 2035 to 2030, and Google plans to transition to post-quantum cryptography by 2029.

At the same time, Ethlabs pointed to AI’s capabilities in cybersecurity. As an example, the company cited OpenAI, which used an internal model to identify and fix around 1,000 vulnerabilities in Linux.

Therefore, the authors of the initiative believe Ethereum should prepare not only for quantum computing, but also for AI systems capable of finding flaws in software and cryptographic algorithms.

To that end, they propose using cryptography with a minimal set of security assumptions, as well as expanding formal verification of code. Ethlabs also cites Ethereum’s client diversity and decentralized validator set as key advantages in this context.

Changes to Ethereum’s Roadmap

The pqai27 initiative calls for revisiting the priorities of the upcoming Hegotá hard fork. Ethlabs proposes postponing changes that are not critically necessary for the transition to post-quantum security.

In particular, the company is calling for a reconsideration of including the FOCIL proposal, which is currently one of the key components of the consensus-layer upgrade. According to the initiative’s authors, it could delay the transition to post-quantum consensus.

At the same time, the Frames proposal, which is intended to expand Ethereum account capabilities, is expected to remain. Ethlabs considers it part of the critical path to pqai27. Other priorities include post-quantum signature aggregation and data availability.

The company also proposes splitting the achievement of post-quantum readiness into two stages:

  • – pqai-ready — Ethereum’s consensus will become post-quantum, and every user will be able to migrate to a secure account. If the existing cryptography is broken earlier than expected, the network will be able to keep operating with reduced throughput
  • – pqai-scaled — Ethereum will be able to process post-quantum transactions and data at full capacity, including through post-quantum data availability and signature aggregation.

Under the proposed plan, the first stage is to be implemented in 2027, with the second set as an ambitious target for the same year.

Fast slots could be postponed until 2028

As part of the shift in priorities, Ethlabs also announced it is withdrawing the fast slots proposal from Hegotá. The company said it wants to redirect resources toward delivering pqai27.

At the same time, Ethlabs representatives stressed that they are not abandoning the idea of speeding up slots itself, and plan to continue working on it in 2028.

According to the company, Ethereum has a chance to become a reliable infrastructure for the global economy by strengthening security and censorship resistance. By the end of 2028, Ethlabs wants to see the network not only post-quantum and resilient to AI threats, but also faster and more useful for a broader range of users.

At the same time, pqai27 is currently an Ethlabs proposal, not an approved Ethereum upgrade roadmap. Its implementation will depend on decisions by the network’s core developers.

As a reminder, earlier an expert explained why Ethereum will become the primary store of value.