Ethereum will execute seven network updates (forks) in the next four years to shield its security against quantum computers and reduce confirmation times to seconds.
The roadmap, called Strawmap and published on February 25 by researcher Justin Drake, establishes an alphabetical schedule that will end in 2029 with a radically faster and simplified infrastructure.
This technical plan organizes development in six-month cycles, starting with the Glamsterdam and Hegotá forksfollowed by versions I*, J*, K* and L*. The primary goal is to achieve “quantum resistance” by replacing current digital signatures with schemes based on hashes, a cryptographic standard that quantum computers could not violate.
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the network, further noted that this transition will be modular. The process involves replacing protocol components piece by piece until the system is fully compatible with zero-knowledge proofs (STARK-friendly) and formally verified, guaranteeing that the code is mathematically correct.
The founder of Ethereum has pointed out that for the network to pass the «abandonment test» – a scenario where the protocol survives even without its developers – it is essential to reach «total quantum resistance», as reported by NoticiasVE.
Minimmit: the path to finality in seconds
To resolve latency, or the time in which a transaction is considered irreversible, Strawmap proposes the implementation of Minimmita “single-round” BFT (Byzantine Fault Tolerance) consensus algorithm. Currently, Ethereum uses a system called Gasper, which requires about 16 minutes for irreversibility.
Minimmit allows individual blocks to be decoupled from the purpose of the network. With this change, Ethereum could reach purpose in a range of 6 to 16 seconds. This means that users would not have to wait for multi-minute cycles to confirm the security of their funds, matching the experience of using centralized or high-speed networks without sacrificing decentralization.
Complementing Minimmit, Buterin proposed a progressive reduction of block time (slot time). The technical route suggests dropping from the current 12 seconds to 8, 6 and 4 seconds, with the goal of reaching 2 seconds. This acceleration will be supported by improvements at the network layer (P2P) through the use of «erasure coding», a technique that fragments data so that nodes can reconstruct complete blocks faster and with less bandwidth.
Finally, Drake clarified that the Strawmap works as a “straw man proposal”; That is, a technical draft intended to generate debate and consensus among ecosystem developers, and not an immovable mandate from the Ethereum Foundation.