Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed a hard fork strategy for the cryptocurrency that would protect user funds when quantum computers become capable of breaking the blockchain’s cryptographic defenses.
Announced earlier this month in a discussion on the Ethereum Research forum, the proposal focuses on the need to prepare for the ability of quantum computers to solve problems like the discrete logarithm. The discrete logarith is what underpins the basis of the security in many current cryptographic algorithms, including those used by Ethereum.
A hard fork is a significant change to a blockchain protocol that renders previously invalid transactions or blocks valid, or vice versa. It requires all users to upgrade to the latest version of the software to continue participating in the network. This results in a permanent divergence in the blockchain, creating two separate and incompatible versions of the blockchain.
This differs considerably from a soft fork.
A hard fork involves a fundamental change to the protocol that is not backward-compatible, meaning nodes running older versions of the software will no longer be able to validate new blocks or transactions. This results in a permanent split in the blockchain, creating two separate chains.
In contrast, a soft fork is a backward-compatible change to the protocol, meaning nodes running older versions can still validate transactions and blocks. However, they may not be able to take advantage of new features introduced by the soft fork. Soft forks typically result in temporary chain divergence until a majority of the network adopts the new rules. After which, the old chain is effectively abandoned.
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Ethereum hard fork will offer new proofs to secure transactions
The proposed hard fork will involve several key steps to address the emerging threat posed by large-scale quantum attacks.
All blocks subsequent to the detection of such attacks will be reverted. This action aims to mitigate the potential damage caused by compromised security. Additionally, to prevent further vulnerabilities, traditional externally owned account (EOA) transactions will be disabled. Instead, a new transaction type for smart contract wallets will be introduced.
Additionally, the hard fork will introduce a new transaction type or opcode enabling users to submit STARK proofs. These proofs will show that users possess the necessary addresses to make the transaction, derived using approved hash functions.
In simpler terms, a STARK proof enables individuals to demonstrate they know something, such as a secret key or a specific value, without revealing what that something is. This is useful in blockchain and cryptography because it allows for secure transactions and interactions without exposing sensitive information. STARK proofs are designed to be highly efficient and scalable. Ultimately, this is what makes them suitable for use in various decentralized systems like blockchains.
Afterward, the user’s account code will be replaced with new validation code resistant to quantum attacks. The overall effect will be improvements to security and resilience of the blockchain network.
Some community members caution that if quantum computers capable of cracking Ethereum wallets are already in malicious hands, distinguishing between legitimate owners and attackers might become too late. Others propose developing machine learning systems to monitor and detect abnormal transactions. This could serve as an early warning system to trigger a fail-safe fork.
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