The Ethereum ecosystem is taking an important step toward the post-quantum era. A draft of a new EIP proposes a radical modernization of the deposit contract, which is currently tightly tied to BLS cryptography. The initiative aims to make the validator onboarding mechanism agnostic to a specific signature scheme, paving the way for the adoption of quantum-resistant algorithms without a painful overhaul of the entire infrastructure.
The essence of the proposal: flexibility instead of rigid standards
The key idea is a shift to a universal format. Instead of fixed fields for BLS keys, it proposes using variable-length data, where the type of cryptographic scheme will be determined by a separate numeric identifier. The current BLS standard is assigned the status of "Scheme 0". This means that in the future, the blockchain will be able to support multiple algorithms simultaneously, gradually migrating to more secure ones.
Note: a specific post-quantum implementation is not fixed in the document. This is a deliberate step — only a foundation is being created, not a final solution. Developers also propose changing the deposit processing mechanism, abandoning the classic Merkle tree in favor of passing data through execution requests under the EIP-7685 standard. This will simplify interaction between layers and improve efficiency.
The draft provides for a phased phase-out of BLS: initially, support for new deposits with the old scheme is retained for a transition period, after which it can be fully disabled. This is a sound approach that minimizes risks for existing validators.
Monad: protection at the account level
In parallel, developers of the EVM-compatible Monad protocol are advancing a similar concept. Their proposal (MIP) focuses on the user account level. The essence is to separate the permanent wallet address and dynamic authentication data. Instead of losing access to funds when a key is lost or migrating to a new address to change the algorithm, users will be able to flexibly manage keys: add, remove, or replace them, as well as configure multi-signature or social recovery.
For example, one could keep the primary key but set up two trusted parties who can jointly restore access in case of its loss. This will also allow a seamless transition to post-quantum cryptography without mass token transfers, which is critical for convenience and security.
The Monad initiative is at an early stage — only an architectural concept has been published, with the full specification still ahead. However, the development vector itself is obvious: the industry is preparing for the quantum challenge not in words, but at the level of base protocols.
Analyst's comment: These initiatives are not just technical improvements, but a strategic safeguard. Quantum computers capable of breaking ECDSA and BLS could appear sooner than it seems. By building in flexibility now, Ethereum and Monad reduce the risks of future forks and chaos. However, it is important to remember: the standardization of post-quantum algorithms is not yet complete, so the proposed "foundation" is a reasonable compromise between readiness and waiting for final specifications.