The Ethereum Foundation has declared post-quantum security a top strategic priority for 2026. It has formed a dedicated team and launched a $1 million prize to harden its cryptographic foundations. This proactive move stands in contrast to the more varied responses within the Bitcoin community, where discussions on the quantum threat are reportedly accelerating.
The Ethereum Foundation is accelerating its post-quantum preparations after years of research. Researcher Justin Drake stated that the foundation has officially declared PQ security a top strategic priority and that it is “time to go full PQ.”
A new PQ team led by Thomas Coratger and Emile (leanVM) has been formed as the backbone of this initiative. The foundation is also offering a $1 million Poseidon Prize to harden its hash-based cryptography, betting big on what it calls “the strongest and leanest cryptographic foundations.”
Infrastructure development is progressing with PQ devnets already focusing on a multi-client consensus system. The formal PQ roadmap will be shared soon, according to EF’s announcement.
Reacting to the update, Paradigm’s General Partner Franklin Bi said, “The post-quantum race begins.” He added that successful implementation could allow blockchains to evolve into post-quantum ‘safe havens’ for data and assets.
The quantum computing landscape advanced in 2025 with breakthroughs from Google and Microsoft. While Ethereum and Solana have pushed forward with formal PQ plans, the Bitcoin community remains split on the urgency of the threat.
Analyst Willy Woo noted that Bitcoin’s quantum discussions had been “slow” but have accelerated recently. Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter warned that if Bitcoin lags, “ETHBTC will have to reach 0.1 before BTC devs recognize there’s a problem.” Such a ratio would imply a 200% outperformance for ETH against BTC.
