TLDR
- Ethereum Foundation rated 62 proposals tied to the upcoming Hegotá network upgrade.
- The ratings came from 397 individual assessments made by about 60 specialists across nine teams.
- Ethereum’s Protocol Cluster set December 2029 as the target date for a quantum-resistant Layer 1.
- Hegotá is currently expected in 2027, after the Glamsterdam upgrade planned for late 2026.
- A Reddit AMA is set for Sept. 16 to discuss the ratings and priorities.
The Ethereum Foundation released ratings for a group of proposals tied to its next major network upgrade. The update came from a large team of protocol specialists working together.
The Foundation shared the news in a Sept. 7 post on X. It included two articles covering the Hegotá upgrade and long term plans for Ethereum’s base layer.
Proposal Ratings and Team Reviews
One article, called the Hegotá EIP Opinion Post and Tier List, reviews 62 Ethereum Improvement Proposals. The Foundation said it is the first shared tier list covering a single network upgrade.
About 60 researchers and engineers from nine teams gave 397 individual ratings. They also held live discussions whenever opinions on a proposal differed.
These discussions let teams compare technical benefits and development costs side by side. They also flagged possible conflicts between proposals before Hegotá’s final scope is set.
A high rating does not mean a proposal will reach the main network. Developers will keep testing which changes can fit inside Hegotá’s development schedule.
In August, crypto.news reported that developers were reviewing proposals on censorship resistance, privacy and validator economics. At that time, only one feature was confirmed for inclusion, called Fork Choice enforced Inclusion Lists.
That feature lets a group of validators publish a list of transactions that block builders must include. Attesters can reject a block if a builder skips a listed transaction.
Execution client teams were asked to rank their preferred proposals by Sept. 10. Ethereum’s public roadmap currently places Hegotá in 2027, after the Glamsterdam upgrade planned for late 2026.
Quantum Resistance Timeline
The second article lays out priorities that stretch beyond one upgrade. The Protocol Cluster set December 2029 as the deadline for making Ethereum’s base layer resistant to quantum computer attacks.
Fredrik Svantes, who leads protocol coordination at the Foundation, said the team is working hard toward that 2029 target. He said the goal shapes which proposals get recommended for Hegotá.
Ethereum is not quantum resistant today. Its account and validator systems use methods that future quantum machines could break, though current hardware is far from that capability.
Researchers have split the work across accounts, validator signatures, consensus, and proof systems. Each piece has its own performance and migration needs.
In June, one researcher said users could add quantum protection to their accounts for about seven cents each, without waiting for a network upgrade. That method alone would not make the full network quantum resistant.
A proposal submitted on Aug. 24 outlines a new validator deposit system. It would accept different key lengths and support future signature types alongside Ethereum’s current method.
Developers also described a switch that could eventually stop new deposits using the older signature method. Validators and staking providers would need time to update their systems first.
The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology approved three post quantum security standards in August 2024. It has told organizations to identify systems that rely on algorithms quantum computers could break.
Ethereum’s 2029 target creates no U.S. regulatory requirement for holders or exchanges. It does sit within the transition window set by the federal standards agency.
The Foundation has scheduled a Reddit AMA for Sept. 16 at 14:00 UTC. Protocol Cluster members will answer questions about the Hegotá ratings and the priorities described in both articles.
