Ethereum unveils quantum-safe accounts, with a costly catch
Ethlabs’ proposed transition would offer post-quantum accounts before full-scale transactions, with an unpriced fee premium for early users. Read the full story on CryptoSlateUnderstand the crypto stories that matter and what to watch next. Get The Catalyst in your inbox
Ethereum research group Ethlabs has proposed giving users a route to quantum-resistant accounts before Ethereum can process those transactions at full scale.
Its Nov. 11 plan would let users adopt the protection earlier, but their quantum-enabled transactions would cost more than ordinary transactions because they take up more space.
The proposal pqai27 targets readiness for quantum-resistant accounts and consensus in 2027. Full-capacity support is a stretch goal for that year, and the target remains a proposal.
Related ReadingAt “pqai-ready,” Ethereum would have post-quantum consensus and every user would have a post-quantum route for their account. At “pqai-scaled,” it would support full-capacity quantum-enabled transactions and blobs, the data objects used by rollups.
The first stage would allow users to migrate to post-quantum accounts and transact with a larger footprint. Signature aggregation and post-quantum data availability would provide the later path to full scale.