Ethereum Foundation forms post-quantum security team, adds $1 million research prize

The Ethereum Foundation has made post-quantum (PQ) security a top strategic priority, forming a dedicated PQ team led by Thomas Coratger, with support from Emile, focusing on quantum-resistant hash-based signatures via the leanVM project. Senior researcher Justin Drake emphasized the urgency of this transition. To fund this effort, the foundation announced a $1 million Poseidon Prize to strengthen a hash function crucial for zero-knowledge proofs, supplementing the existing $1 million Proximity Prize for broader PQ research. Engineering work is underway, with PQ devnets running on clients like Lighthouse and Grandine, and developer sessions scheduled to begin next month. This move aligns with broader industry concerns, as Coinbase also recently formed a quantum advisory board, and Vitalik Buterin previously listed quantum resistance as non-negotiable for Ethereum's long-term security.

(Source：The Block)