The Ethereum Foundation has completed an initial assessment of 62 proposals being considered for the Hegotá network upgrade while also outlining a longer-term objective of making Ethereum’s Layer 1 resistant to quantum computing threats by the end of 2029.
The Foundation announced the developments in a Sept. 7 post on X, linking to two publications that detail both the proposal review process for Hegotá and the broader priorities for Ethereum’s base-layer development.
Researchers Rank Hegotá Upgrade Proposals
One of the publications, titled the Hegotá EIP Opinion Post and Tier List, examines 62 Ethereum Improvement Proposals, or EIPs, that could potentially become part of the upcoming upgrade.
According to the Foundation, the exercise represents its first coordinated tier list focused on proposals for a single Ethereum network upgrade.
Nearly 60 researchers and engineers from nine different teams participated in the process, submitting a total of 397 ratings. Where participants disagreed, the teams held live discussions to compare their views and evaluate the proposals more closely.
The collaborative reviews considered the potential technical value of each proposal alongside the engineering effort required to implement it. The discussions also helped identify possible overlaps or conflicts between proposed changes before developers determine Hegotá’s final scope.
A favorable rating, however, does not guarantee that an EIP will ultimately be included in the upgrade. Developers still need to determine which proposals can be properly developed, tested, and delivered within Hegotá’s available timeline.
The Protocol Cluster has published two new posts:
Hegotá EIP Opinion Post and Tier List evaluates and grades all 62 EIPs proposed for Hegotá, providing the cluster’s first unified tier list for a network upgrade
Current and Emerging Priorities covers commitments and research… pic.twitter.com/GadgBb1xCK
— Ethereum Foundation (@ethereumfndn) September 7, 2026
Earlier reports indicated that Ethereum developers were examining potential improvements involving censorship resistance, privacy, and validator economics. At that stage, Fork Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists was the only feature confirmed for the upgrade.
The mechanism would allow a designated group of validators to publish transactions that block builders are required to include. If a required transaction is omitted, attesters could reject the resulting block.
Execution client teams have also been asked to rank their preferred proposals by Sept. 10. Ethereum’s current public roadmap places the Hegotá upgrade in 2027, following the Glamsterdam upgrade, which is expected in late 2026.
Ethereum Sets Long-Term Quantum Resistance Goal
The Foundation’s second publication focuses on development priorities extending beyond Hegotá. The Ethereum Protocol Cluster has identified December 2029 as its target for achieving quantum-resistant security at the Ethereum base layer.
Fredrik Svantes, who oversees protocol coordination at the Ethereum Foundation, said the 2029 objective is influencing how the organization evaluates and recommends proposals for future upgrades, including Hegotá.
Ethereum is not currently protected against a sufficiently advanced quantum computer. Some of the cryptographic systems used for accounts and validators could theoretically be broken by future quantum technology, although existing quantum computers remain far from having that capability.
The Foundation’s researchers are dividing the transition into several areas, including account security, validator signatures, consensus mechanisms, and proof systems. Each area presents different technical requirements involving performance, compatibility, and migration.
Earlier this year, a researcher suggested that individual users could add a form of quantum protection to their accounts at a relatively low cost without waiting for a network-wide upgrade. Such an approach, however, would protect individual accounts rather than make Ethereum’s entire infrastructure quantum-resistant.
A proposal submitted on Aug. 24 describes a revised validator deposit framework that can support different key sizes and future signature schemes alongside Ethereum’s existing cryptography.
Developers have also discussed introducing a future mechanism that would prevent new validator deposits from relying on the current signature method. Before such a transition could occur, validators and staking service providers would need sufficient time to upgrade their infrastructure.
The broader effort follows progress in post-quantum cryptography outside the blockchain industry. In August 2024, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology approved three post-quantum cryptography standards and encouraged organizations to identify systems that depend on cryptographic algorithms that could eventually be vulnerable to quantum attacks.
Ethereum’s 2029 target does not create any regulatory obligation for token holders, exchanges, or other users in the United States. Instead, it establishes an internal development goal that broadly aligns with the longer-term transition toward quantum-safe cryptographic systems.
The Ethereum Foundation has also scheduled a Reddit AMA for Sept. 16 at 14:00 UTC, where members of the Protocol Cluster are expected to answer questions about the Hegotá proposal rankings and the Foundation’s longer-term development priorities.
