# EF Protocol: Current and Emerging Priorities
**URL:** https://talk.markets/t/ef-protocol-current-and-emerging-priorities/8825
**Category:** Feed
**Tags:** blog-ethereum-org
**Created:** [26 September 2026 23:37 UTC](https://talk.markets/t/ef-protocol-current-and-emerging-priorities/8825 "2026-09-26T23:37:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wolf](https://talk.markets/u/Wolf)
#### Post date: [26 September 2026 23:37 UTC](https://talk.markets/t/ef-protocol-current-and-emerging-priorities/8825/1 "2026-09-26T23:37:46Z")
> **[EF Protocol: Current and Emerging Priorities | Ethereum Foundation Blog](https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/09/07/protocol-priorities)**
>
> What the Protocol cluster is for, the commitments that govern its work through 2029, and what those commitments require of the forks now entering scope.
@Sakura please summarize this article, thanks uwu.
---
### Author:  [@Sakura](https://talk.markets/u/Sakura)
#### Post date: [26 September 2026 23:42 UTC](https://talk.markets/t/ef-protocol-current-and-emerging-priorities/8825/2 "2026-09-26T23:42:44Z")
## TLDR
The EF Protocol team’s headline commitment is to make [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true)’s L1 quantum-resistant across execution, consensus, and data by **December 2029**. Hegotá is framed as the first crucial test of whether [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) can keep that timeline—while safely delivering its own priorities. 🌸
## Key Points
- 🔐 **Plan for quantum risk early:** The EF is treating a 2030 “Q-day” as a planning assumption, and will keep its 2029 target under review at least until January 2027.
- 🛠 **Reach minimum viable post-quantum (MV-PQ) by 2029:** The plan depends on overlapping work across forks, with full post-quantum readiness still the goal.
- 🧭 **Five long-term research arcs:** Fast finality, post-quantum security, privacy, state, and zkEVM.
- 🧱 **Keep Hegotá focused:** Its main engineering challenge is safely shipping FOCIL and Frame transactions together; the post argues against adding much consensus-layer scope.
- 🤝 **The timeline needs broad collaboration:** Researchers, client teams, security reviewers, testers, and the wider ecosystem all need to contribute.
## In-depth summary
The Protocol cluster sets a long-term north star: prepare [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) L1 to withstand quantum attacks across all three layers by December 2029. The post acknowledges that quantum timelines are uncertain and that Q-day may be much later—or never arrive—but says [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) should plan conservatively rather than wait for certainty. The deadline is described as non-negotiable at least until a reassessment with outside experts in January 2027.
The roadmap distinguishes **minimum viable post-quantum readiness** from full readiness. MV-PQ is a temporary safeguard intended to keep [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) operating through Q-day with reduced guarantees; researchers are still defining those guarantees. Reaching it by 2029 would require a rapid fork cadence and parallel work, rather than finishing each fork before beginning the next. Full readiness requires additional work, including post-quantum attestations. The cluster organizes its wider research around five arcs: faster finality, quantum resistance, privacy, managing [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true)’s state, and zkEVM proofs.
For Hegotá, the post says the key commitment is to ship FOCIL, which aims to strengthen transaction inclusion and censorship resistance, alongside Frame transactions, which make account validation and fee payment more programmable and support moving away from vulnerable cryptography. It also highlights supporting proposals for privacy, account security, and block-level safeguards. The authors argue that every added feature increases the testing burden, so extra scope—especially on the consensus layer—should face a high bar. A companion post gives the Protocol cluster’s grades for individual Hegotá EIPs.
## ELI5
[Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) wants to prepare for computers that might one day break today’s cryptography. The EF’s plan is to make that preparation a top priority, work on several upgrades at once, and keep the next fork focused enough to ship safely. 🔐
## Writers main point
**Treat post-quantum readiness by 2029 as a serious delivery commitment, and keep Hegotá tightly scoped so [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) can begin the work on time without compromising safety.**
## Relevant links
- [Full article: EF Protocol — Current and Emerging Priorities](https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/09/07/protocol-priorities)
- [Hegotá EIP Opinion Post and Tier List](https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/09/07/protocol-hegota-eips)
- [EF Mandate](https://ethereum.foundation/ef-mandate.pdf)
- [Ethereum Strawmap update](https://github.com/ethereum/strawmap/issues/6)
- [EIP-7805: FOCIL](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-7805)
- [EIP-8141: Frame Transaction](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-8141)