Vitalik Buterin announced Ethereum’s development plan to combat quantum threats
- In a social media post, Buterin outlined specific elements of the network at risk due to the development of quantum computing. These include consensus-level BLS signatures, data availability systems using KZG commitments and proofs, ECDSA-based signatures of accounts belonging to external users, and zero-disclosure proofs at the application level, such as KZG or Groth16.
He then presented technical ways to mitigate these vulnerabilities as part of a quantum resilience strategy. For example, he suggested strengthening consensus security by replacing BLS signatures with hash-like varieties, such as Winternitz variants, and leveraging STARK-based aggregation for rapid verification.
Buterin explained that moving to leaner consensus and finalization could minimize the number of signatures required per slot, potentially eliminating the need for early aggregation.
As part of this process, the network will also need to decide on a long-term hashing method, selecting one of the available options to ensure robust security in the future.
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The Etherium developer also suggested modifying the system’s data storage and sharing principles, adopting a more modern approach aimed at improving long-lasting security. However, he pointed out that such a modification would require additional technical efforts to handle more extensive verification processes.
For external accounts, Buterin advocates native account abstraction via EIP-8141, a change that would enable support for multiple signature schemes, including those designed to counter quantum threats.
Current ECDSA signature verification costs about 3,000 gaz, while quantum-resistant alternatives are significantly more resource-intensive and can take about 200,000 gaz. Despite the high cost, he believes that continuous improvements will make them more cost-effective.
In addition, in the long term, the protocol intends to utilize aggregation techniques that reduce multiple signatures to a single verification step to reduce the overall load on the network.
The roadmap also addresses the proof systems that play a role in verifying transactions and applications in Etherium.
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