29 min ago3 min readEthereum developers propose first step to protect ETH staking from quantum attacks. (Ethereum)SummaryEthereum researchers proposed rebuilding the network’s validator deposit contract to support new cryptographic systems and eventually stop accepting deposits secured by existing BLS signatures.The change is intended to protect the blockchain from quantum attacks that could forge validator signatures, potentially threatening about 42.4 million staked ETH worth roughly $104 billion.The proposal remains an early draft and requires additional protocol changes, with the Ethereum Foundation targeting around 2029 for core quantum-resistant upgrades.A group of Ethereum researchers proposed rebuilding the contract that allows participants to become validators to help secure the blockchain from potential quantum-computing enabled attacks.The proposal targets the deposit contract, or entry point through which users lock up ether ETH$2,451.96 to qualify as validators, the operators who verify transactions and keep the blockchain running. It seeks to add a switch to prevent the network accepting the signature format it currently relies on.The current format is one of the obstacles to implementing a broader rollout. Because it hard-codes the size of the specialized cryptographic key pairs known as BLS keys, Ethereum could not accept a quantum-resistant signature even if developers agreed on one tomorrow.Roughly 42.4 million ETH is staked on Ethereum as of Wednesday, worth about $104 billion at current prices, all of it secured by validator keys using the format the draft would eventually retire.The proposal is an early draft awaiting review, currently filed under a placeholder number, with one of the repository's maintainers suggesting it be numbered EIP-8394.The proposal also retires the old deposit-processing system Ethereum has used since staking was introduced in 2022 and transfers deposits onto the newer framework already handling withdrawals and validator changes.How the tech worksValidators currently sign transactions with BLS, a system whose main advantage is that hundreds of thousands of signatures can be squashed into one, which is what keeps Ethereum's consensus affordable. The technology, however, is built on the elliptic curve maths that a quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could unpick, letting an attacker forge a validator's signature.Read more: Ethereum Foundation prepares for quantum threat with new cryptography roadmapCurrently, the contract accepts only BLS keys because the exact size is hard-coded. The draft proposal allows for different key sizes, with each deposit tagged to show which cryptographic system it uses. BLS gets tag zero, leaving later tags open for whatever comes next.If approved, the proposal would deploy with BLS deposits operational and other schemes able to register alongside them. A later decision could disable new BLS deposits permanently. In that case, validators already staking with BLS keys would not vanish, but new validators would be unable to join with one.How Ethereum would retire its validator signatures. (Shaurya Malwa/CoinDesk)As such, Ethereum would eventually also need a separate change telling validators how to check whatever new signatures arrive.This is the validator half of a migration whose other half is already in play. EIP-8141, the Frame Transactions proposal under consideration for the Hegotá upgrade due later this year, would allow ordinary Ethereum accounts to change the cryptography approving their transactions without moving to a new address.The urgency traces to Google Quantum AI research in March, which mapped five quantum attack paths against Ethereum and put more than $100 billion of assets at potential risk across wallets, staking, smart contracts and layer-2 systems, as CoinDesk reported at the time. The Ethereum Foundation, the organization that supports the blockchain’s development, is now working to a target of roughly 2029 for the core protocol changes.Read more: Google warns five quantum attack paths could put $100 billion on Ethereum at riskRelated Assets12345678910Anvil: The Missing Collateral LayerAnvil: The Missing Collateral LayerAnvil is a shared on-chain collateral layer built on a programmable letter of credit: reserve assets as a guarantee -no loan, no interest, keep custody & yield.Jul 29, 2026Anvil is a shared on-chain collateral layer built on a programmable letter of credit: reserve assets as a guarantee -no loan, no interest, keep custody & yield.Why it matters:Anvil is a shared on-chain collateral layer built on a programmable letter of credit: reserve assets as a guarantee -no loan, no interest, keep custody & yield.View Full Report