# \[Pre-Proposal\] Establishing a Post-Quantum Readiness Working Group for Lido Validator Infrastructure **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [October 9, 2026, 11:45am UTC](https://research.lido.fi/t/pre-proposal-establishing-a-post-quantum-readiness-working-group-for-lido-validator-infrastructure/12010 "2026-10-09T11:45:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![a8103419](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@a8103419](https://research.lido.fi/u/a8103419)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 11:45am UTC](https://research.lido.fi/t/pre-proposal-establishing-a-post-quantum-readiness-working-group-for-lido-validator-infrastructure/12010/1 "2026-10-09T11:45:22Z")
The Ethereum Foundation has established a dedicated post-quantum research team, and the Strawmap/Lean roadmap targets hash-based signatures across the protocol stack. As the largest single manager of validator signing keys on Ethereum (~9M ETH), Lido’s exposure to quantum-vulnerable BLS keys is proportionally the largest in the ecosystem. This pre-proposal suggests forming a small working group to (1) inventory Lido’s key-management exposure, (2) draft a migration playbook aligned with protocol-layer PQ work, and (3) coordinate with the EF PQ team so that Lido node operators are migration-ready well before any hard fork mandates it. Motivation Ethereum’s consensus layer relies on BLS signatures over BLS12-381, which are not resistant to quantum attacks. While protocol-level migration is an EF/domain concern, the operational burden of key rotation at scale falls on staking infrastructure providers — and no entity carries more of that burden than Lido. Recent developments make early preparation timely: • The EF launched a dedicated post-quantum team (Feb 2026); • EIP-8141 (quantum-resistant accounts) has CFI status for Hegotá; • The Lean roadmap outlines hash-based signatures across consensus within a 3–4 year horizon. If migration guidance arrives with a tight fork window, rotating keys across Lido’s distributed validator set without prior rehearsal would be a material operational risk to the beacon chain itself — Lido’s readiness is effectively network readiness. Proposed Scope 1. Exposure inventory — map every key-holding surface: validator keys across operators, DVT clusters, CSM, oracle/committee keys, withdrawal credentials. 2. Migration playbook — draft operator-facing procedures for key rotation under candidate PQ schemes, tested on testnet. 3. Ecosystem coordination — liaise with the EF PQ team, Obol/SSV, and client teams so Lido’s playbook tracks the canonical migration path rather than diverging from it. Deliverables & Timeline • Month 1–2: exposure inventory report (public); • Month 2–4: draft playbook + testnet rehearsal results; • Month 4: final report to the DAO with recommendations for any required budget. Budget None requested at this stage. Contributions on a volunteer/grant basis; any budget needs would return to the DAO with the final report. Closing thought stETH’s long-term value proposition rests on being the most operationally robust staking asset. Being the first liquid staking protocol with a published, rehearsed quantum-migration path is a natural extension of that.