- Ethlabs will withdraw quick slots from Hegotá to prioritize security.
- The group proposes quantum readiness in 2027, with full capacity a stretch goal.
- Its proposal does not establish an agreed Ethereum upgrade timetable.
Ethlabs is stepping back from its push for faster Ethereum blocks, proposing that developers prioritize quantum and AI defenses in 2027.
Ethlabs Withdraws Quick Slots From Hegotá
In its Nov. 11 proposal, Ethlabs wrote:
“Hence we will withdraw quick slots from Hegotá and dedicate our resources to pqai27.”
Its minimum target combines quantum-resistant consensus with a migration route for user accounts.
Maintaining full capacity with the new cryptography is a stretch goal.
Ethlabs’ September research, drawing on 20 ecosystem voices, explains the commercial case for quick slots.
EIP-8198 would initially shorten slots from 12 seconds to 10 seconds while making future timing changes easier.
For traders, shorter waits can reduce exposure to prices moving before transactions reach the blockchain.
Tokenized stocks and ETFs face a similar issue when an off-chain quote precedes an on-chain transaction.
“Trading businesses compete on extremely narrow margins, so even relatively small improvements concerning latency can matter,” PropellerHeads founder Haikane said in the research.
Quantum Preparation Does Not Mean an Attack Is Imminent
The Ethereum Foundation’s post-quantum team says the threat is not immediate, but preparing the network will take years.
“We do not believe a cryptographically relevant quantum computer is imminent.”
The transition spans Ethereum’s core systems, from the signatures that protect user accounts to those used by validators, as well as the cryptography that secures data availability.
That complexity makes careful and longevity testing essential.
The team warns that introducing immature cryptography too quickly could create new vulnerabilities, undermining the security the changes are intended to strengthen.
Any proposed upgrades must also pass through Ethereum’s open governance process before becoming part of the network.
Ethlabs’ AI argument covers software hardening and cryptography built on fewer assumptions.
It acknowledges uncertainty over whether AI could discover a cryptographic break.
Researchers Propose Low-Cost Quantum Protection for Ethereum Wallets
Separate research from June suggests Ethereum wallets could adopt quantum-resistant signatures without waiting for a network upgrade.
Ethereum researcher Nicolas Consigny and collaborators, including contributors from the Ethereum Foundation’s cryptography team, proposed SPHINCS-, a signature scheme designed to work through smart contracts on Ethereum today.
The approach uses Ethereum’s existing KECCAK256 hashing function, avoiding the need for a hard fork or new protocol features.
One optimized configuration, called C13, reportedly requires approximately 127,000 gas per signature verification.
The research puts that cost at around $0.07 under the network conditions used in its estimate, although the dollar amount will change with gas fees and ETH’s price.
The proposal could provide wallet developers with a path to protecting accounts against future quantum attacks.
However, account-level protection would address only part of Ethereum’s wider transition, as validator signatures and other cryptographic systems would still require separate upgrades.
