Ethereum Targets Quantum Security and Scaling in 2026
The Ethereum Foundation outlined faster transactions, smarter wallets, and post-quantum security among its top protocol priorities for the year ahead.
The Ethereum Foundation has set an ambitious roadmap for 2026, focusing on scaling performance, improving user experience, strengthening interoperability, and preparing the network for the long-term risks posed by quantum computing.
In a Feb. 18 blog post, the organization detailed its “protocol priorities” for the coming year, emphasizing higher throughput, more advanced wallet capabilities, and stronger security foundations. The roadmap builds on what the foundation described as one of Ethereum’s most productive development periods, while signaling structural changes to match evolving community needs.
Gas Scaling and Performance Upgrades
A central objective is the continued expansion of Ethereum’s gas limit—the maximum computational work each block can process—with a long-term target of pushing it “toward and beyond” 100 million. The issue has been widely debated in the community, with many expecting significant increases during 2026.
The foundation framed gas scaling as essential to supporting growing demand for decentralized applications, Layer-2 ecosystems, and real-world use cases.
The Glamsterdam network upgrade, scheduled for the first half of 2026, was highlighted as a key milestone expected to advance performance and infrastructure improvements.
Alongside throughput gains, Ethereum developers aim to reduce confirmation times and accelerate settlement across Layer-2 networks. These efforts are designed to strengthen the base layer’s role while ensuring the broader ecosystem scales efficiently.
Cross-Chain Interoperability and Smarter Wallets
User experience improvements remain a core theme. The foundation said it plans to refine smart wallets powered by native account abstraction, enabling features such as transaction batching, gas sponsorship, and more flexible recovery mechanisms.
Interoperability across networks is another major focus, with development aimed at improving communication between Layer-2 solutions and simplifying interactions for users.
“The goal remains seamless, trust-minimized cross-L2 interactions, and we’re getting closer day by day. Continued progress on faster L1 confirmations and shorter L2 settlement times directly supports this.”
By enhancing wallet design and cross-chain functionality, Ethereum developers aim to reduce friction for users and developers alike while maintaining decentralization and security.
Post-Quantum Readiness Becomes a Strategic Priority
Security initiatives for 2026 include a long-term effort to make Ethereum resistant to future quantum threats. The foundation is investing in research and planning to ensure cryptographic systems remain viable as computing capabilities evolve.
Ethereum researcher Justin Drake revealed earlier this year that the organization has already formed a dedicated team to address the issue.
“Today marks an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term quantum strategy,” Drake said in a Jan. 24 post on X.
The focus on post-quantum readiness reflects broader industry concerns that quantum computing could eventually undermine traditional cryptographic systems. While such threats are not imminent, Ethereum’s developers appear determined to prepare early.
Building on a Productive 2025
The roadmap follows a year marked by significant technical progress across the network. The foundation described 2025 as one of its most productive periods, highlighted by two major upgrades and a substantial increase in the gas limit.
Between the Pectra and Fusaka upgrades, the community raised the gas limit from 30 million to 60 million, marking the first major increase since 2021.
Pectra, launched on mainnet in May, introduced EIP-7702, allowing externally owned accounts (EOAs) to temporarily execute smart contract code. This enabled transaction batching, gas sponsorship, and social recovery features. The upgrade also:
- Doubled blob throughput
- Increased the maximum effective validator balance to 2,048 ETH
- Significantly reduced validator onboarding times
Fusaka followed in December, bringing PeerDAS to mainnet. The update allows validators to sample blob data rather than download it entirely, cutting bandwidth requirements and enabling an eightfold increase in theoretical blob capacity. Two Blob Parameter Only (BPO) forks launched alongside Fusaka, beginning a gradual ramp-up in blob availability per block.
Despite the strong progress, the foundation acknowledged the need to evolve its development structure to better support Ethereum’s expanding ecosystem and community demands.
Vitalik Buterin Explores Ethereum’s AI Future
The announcement also comes shortly after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined his latest thinking on the intersection of Ethereum and artificial intelligence.
In a Feb. 9 post on X, Buterin described a future where AI and blockchain complement each other to improve markets, strengthen financial safety, and expand human agency. He emphasized that AI should be used to empower people rather than replace them, even if the near-term applications remain more practical than transformative.
Buterin identified several areas where the two technologies could converge:
- Enabling trustless or privacy-preserving interactions with AI systems
- Positioning Ethereum as an economic layer for AI-to-AI transactions
- Using AI tools to verify data and activity onchain
- Enhancing market efficiency and governance processes
These ideas suggest a growing alignment between Ethereum’s infrastructure goals and emerging AI-driven digital economies.
Preparing Ethereum for the Next Phase
The Ethereum Foundation’s 2026 priorities underscore a network transitioning from foundational scaling to long-term resilience and usability. With higher gas limits, smarter wallets, stronger interoperability, and early quantum defenses, Ethereum’s roadmap reflects both immediate performance needs and future-proofing strategies.
As the ecosystem expands and new technologies like AI and quantum computing reshape the digital landscape, Ethereum’s direction suggests a platform focused not only on scaling today—but also on ensuring it remains secure, adaptable, and relevant for decades to come.
