Author: Deep Tide TechFlow

On November 12, the non-profit Ethereum research lab Ethlabs published the original text of the pqai27 community proposal in a community forum, advocating for 2027 to be set as the target year for Ethereum to achieve quantum resistance and AI resistance capabilities.

According to DeFiLlama data, as of November 12, the total locked value (TVL) on the Ethereum chain exceeds $41.16 billion. The proposal argues that as AI accelerates evolution and the quantum timeline advances, Ethereum should rely on existing hash cryptography and formal verification foundations to solidify the global value settlement base.

Quantum and AI Threats Accelerate, 2027 Becomes the Best Defense Window

The sharp compression of external cycles is the direct motive for proposing pqai27. The U.S. government has moved its quantum resistance target from 2035 to 2030, and according to the official Google cryptography migration timeline, Google also plans to complete a full migration by 2029.

The capabilities of AI attacks are also accelerating. OpenAI has discovered and patched about 1,000 vulnerabilities in Linux using cutting-edge models, solving hundreds of mathematical problems; the so-called "AI resistance" relies on extremely simple hash primitives, formal verification, and client diversity to strengthen the underlying defenses.

Two-Phase Route Breakdown: From Minimum Survival to Full Capacity Expansion

The route disassembles 2027 into a basic target and advanced extension: the basic phase “pqai-ready” requires the consensus layer to achieve quantum resistance and ensures users migrate to quantum-resistant accounts through the Frames account abstraction proposal EIP-8141; if existing cryptography fails prematurely, the network can still degrade to calldata to maintain operation.

The advanced goal “pqai-scaled” aims for full network operation and plans to introduce EIP-8288 quantum-resistant signature aggregation and quantum-resistant data availability EIP-8479, allowing quantum-resistant transactions and Blobs to resume regular throughput levels after expansion.

Reconstructing Hegotá Fork Priorities, Withdrawing Rapid Block Proposal

To this end, Ethlabs suggests reconstructing the Hegotá hard fork scope, stripping away non-critical path upgrades, and reassessing the impact of FOCIL anti-censorship proposal (EIP-7805) on progress and compatibility; if the execution layer can free itself from the consensus layer binding, Frames can be delivered independently in advance.

At the same time, the consensus layer must make a choice between transforming the existing Gasper implementation for quantum resistance and shifting to decoupled consensus. Ethlabs announced the withdrawal of the Quick Slots (EIP-8198) it was advocating for Hegotá, postponing it to 2028, while the Glamsterdam and its expansion plans continue as usual.

Core Developer Game Pending, Focusing on Long-Term Value Settlement Base

Currently, this roadmap remains a community initiative submitted by Ethlabs, and whether it involves the Hegotá fork reorganization or consensus layer switching, it requires further discussions and agreements among Ethereum core developers (All Core Devs).

Ethlabs pointed out that AI is also accelerating the optimization of formal verification and zero-knowledge proof benchmarks; advancing pqai27 aims to solidify Ethereum and ETH's global value settlement trust root position during extreme security cycles.