Ethereum Researchers Propose XMSS Public Key Registry for Quantum Security

Ethereum researchers, including Thomas Coratger and Justin Drake, have proposed the establishment of a dedicated XMSS public key registry. According to ChainCatcher, this proposal was published on the Ethereum Research Forum on June 1. The initiative aims to serve as the first concrete protocol upgrade for Ethereum's transition to post-quantum cryptography. The registry would allow approximately one million validators to pre-register quantum-secure XMSS keys before a full switch to the BLS signature system. This 'warm-up phase' is designed to minimize the impact on network stability during the subsequent transition. The proposal has been included in the Ethereum Foundation's protocol team's Strawmap roadmap and marks the first protocol fork on this roadmap.