Ethereum Foundation Launches Post-Quantum Security Team With $2M Prize Fund

TLDR:

• Ethereum Foundation established a dedicated Post-Quantum team led by Thomas Coratger and Emile from leanVM.
• Foundation announced $2M in prizes targeting Poseidon hash function and post-quantum cryptographic research.
• Multi-client PQ consensus devnets are live with participation from pioneering and established teams.
• AI-powered mathematics completed complex cryptographic proof in eight hours at $200 cost for the project.

The Ethereum Foundation has designated post-quantum security as a top strategic priority, announcing the formation of a dedicated team led by Thomas Coratger. 

The initiative builds on research dating back to 2019 and includes multiple engineering breakthroughs achieved since 2024. 

The foundation outlined comprehensive plans spanning developer coordination, cryptographic research, and network implementation through various programs and incentives.

New Team Spearheads Multi-Faceted Implementation Strategy

The newly formed Post Quantum team operates under Thomas Coratger’s leadership, with Emile joining from the leanVM project. LeanVM serves as the cryptographic foundation for the entire post-quantum strategy. 

Justin Drake announced the development, stating the initiative marks “an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term quantum strategy.” The foundation’s management formally elevated PQ security after years of quiet research and development.

The initiative traces its origins to 2019 with the “Eth3.0 Quantum Security” presentation at StarkWare Sessions. Post-quantum considerations became central to the lean Ethereum vision starting in 2024. 

Engineering breakthroughs have accelerated significantly since that time. Drake emphasized the urgency, noting, “it’s now 2026; timelines are accelerating.”

Antonio Sanso will lead bi-weekly All Core Devs PQ transaction breakout calls beginning next month. These sessions address user-facing security concerns and technical implementations. 

Topics include dedicated precompiles, account abstraction, and transaction signature aggregation. The coordination represents a systematic approach to integrating post-quantum protections.

Multi-client PQ consensus devnets have already gone live with participation from several teams. Zeam, Ream Labs, PierTwo, Gean Client, and Ethlambda Lean are pioneering the effort. 

Established consensus teams, Lighthouse and Grandine have joined, with Prysm expected soon. Weekly PQ interop calls coordinated by Corcoran Will facilitate teamwork among implementations.

Research Incentives and Educational Programs Support Transition

The foundation announced a $1M Poseidon Prize targeting the hardening of the Poseidon hash function. This investment reflects a strategic bet on hash-based cryptography for cryptographic foundations. 

The initiative complements another $1M program called the Proximity Prize. Both prizes aim to strengthen the mathematical underpinnings of post-quantum security.

Artificial intelligence has already demonstrated value in advancing cryptographic research. Alex Hicks ran a specialized mathematics AI for eight hours at a $200 cost. 

The system completed a formal proof for one of the hardest lemmas. Describing the achievement, Drake stated that “applied cryptography will never be the same.”

The foundation plans to host a three-day PQ workshop in October. This follows a previous workshop in Cambridge last year. 

An additional PQ day is scheduled for March 29 in Cannes ahead of EthCC. These gatherings facilitate knowledge sharing among researchers and developers.

A comprehensive roadmap will be published on pq.ethereum.org detailing the proposed strategy. The plan targets a complete transition in the coming years with zero loss of funds. 

The ZKPodcast is producing a six-part video series on Ethereum’s PQ strategy. Ethereum has secured representation on Coinbase’s PQ advisory board.