For Ethereum builders, a central question in Ethlabs’ proposal is how users could move to accounts designed to withstand potential quantum-computing threats. In a report published on November 12, 2026, at 11:07 a.m. UTC+8, ChainCatcher said Ethlabs had posted a proposal on the Ethereum developer community forum targeting 2027 for what it calls “pqai27”: post-quantum and post-AI resilience. It remains a proposal, not an agreed Ethereum roadmap.
Ethlabs argues that advances in quantum computing and AI—including AI models’ ability to find software vulnerabilities at scale—warrant earlier work on protocol security. According to Ethlabs, the US government moved its quantum-risk target from 2035 to 2030, while Google plans to achieve quantum resistance before 2029. Ethlabs also points to AI solving long-standing mathematics problems, but says there is no evidence that AI will necessarily break current cryptographic primitives. Its concern is that the risk is difficult to predict.
The proposal separates the work into two stages:
- “pqai-ready”: Upgrade Ethereum’s consensus layer—the mechanism by which the network agrees on its state—for quantum resistance, and give every user a path to migrate to a quantum-resistant account. If existing cryptography fails sooner than expected, the network should still be able to operate, though at reduced processing capacity.
- “pqai-scaled”: Support quantum-resistant transactions and data availability at full network capacity, with a goal of processing quantum-resistant transactions at the scale of ordinary transactions. Ethlabs includes quantum-resistant signature aggregation and data-availability schemes in this stage.
To prioritize that work, Ethlabs suggests reassessing the scope of the later Hegotá hard fork—a protocol upgrade that changes network rules. It considers Frames and related quantum-resistant account proposals essential, while calling for a fresh assessment of FOCIL’s effect on the schedule and quantum-resistant compatibility. Developers would also need to choose between adapting the existing Gasper consensus protocol and moving to decoupled consensus.
Ethlabs says it will withdraw the Quick Slots feature it had previously sought for Hegotá and intends to pursue it again in 2028. It proposes that Glamsterdam and its scaling plans continue as planned. Ethereum core developers would still need to discuss and decide on the proposed roadmap.