Ethereum researchers submitted a draft proposal for a post-quantum-ready validator staking deposit contract that could eventually replace the network's BLS signature system. The design supports variable-length keys and multiple signature schemes but does not yet pick a post-quantum algorithm, and the draft still needs editor consensus and technical review before it can reach a future hard fork.
Ethereum researchers submitted a draft proposal on Aug. 24 for a new validator deposit smart contract built to eventually phase out the BLS signature scheme validators use today. Kevaundray Wedderburn, Tom Wambsgans and Thomas Coratger authored the core Ethereum Improvement Proposal, filed as an unmerged GitHub pull request that has not been selected for a network upgrade.
New contract accepts variable-length keys
Validators currently deposit with fixed-length BLS public keys and signatures. The proposed smart contract instead accepts variable-length public keys, signatures and credential metadata, with each deposit carrying a scheme identifier that names the cryptographic system in use.
Scheme 0 stays reserved for the existing BLS format, preserving compatibility during an initial transition. Future identifiers could represent post-quantum signature systems, though the proposal does not select or implement a specific post-quantum algorithm. The contract is post-quantum-ready, but it would not make Ethereum quantum-resistant on its own — a separate consensus-layer change would still need to define how validators verify, aggregate and process signatures under each new scheme.
EIP-7685 would carry the new deposit requests
The design replaces the contract's legacy Merkle-tree mechanism with execution-layer requests under EIP-7685, the general request framework already used for validator operations. EIP-6110 supplies validator deposits as EIP-7685 requests, EIP-7002 supports execution-layer-triggered withdrawals, and EIP-7251 uses the same framework for validator consolidations. The new contract would extend that architecture to deposits carrying flexible cryptographic data.
An irreversible switch could later retire BLS deposits
The proposal includes a staged migration in which developers could deploy the contract with BLS deposits enabled while allowing additional signature schemes to enter later. A subsequent protocol decision could then permanently disable new Scheme 0 deposits, and once activated, that retirement mode could not be reversed under the proposed design. Existing BLS validators would not automatically disappear when the switch activates — separate rules would still address existing keys, exits, credential changes and migration into a post-quantum system.
The authors are still waiting for feedback on how the design interacts with EIP-7002, EIP-7251 and EIP-8282. Wedderburn said the subject had been raised during an All Core Developers Execution meeting.
Draft still faces several review stages
The pull request carries draft and core-proposal labels and was awaiting editor consensus, formal review and successful automated checks. An editor suggested assigning EIP-8394 as its sequential number and requested a separate Ethereum Magicians discussion, but that number had not yet appeared as an accepted, published EIP.
Core developers would still need technical discussion, specification work, security analysis, client implementations and testing before selecting it for a future hard fork. No target fork, testnet activation or mainnet deadline has been announced, and there was no verified ETH market movement tied to the draft.
Source: crypto.news
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