QuantumEVM, a layer-1 chain compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and designed with quantum resistance in mind from the ground up, has launched its testnet (testnet) The project will go live on March 17, as explained by Ian Smith, the project’s CEO and technical director.
The main purpose of QuantumEVM is to enable Ethereum ecosystem structures (decentralized applications, smart contracts, etc.). Easily migrate to networks aimed at securing post-quantum threats.without losing compatibility with existing tools such as wallets.
The manager announced that the team would need to completely redesign the EVM’s memory architecture to make it resistant to quantum computer attacks.
The core changes are the migration of 20-byte addresses, the Ethereum standard, and all supported networks. up to 32 byte address.
The CEO also revealed that QuantumEVM runs on Cellframe, an open source-based network for scalability and post-quantum security, and uses a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, allowing applications and smart contracts to be migrated almost directly from Ethereum while maintaining compatibility with the EVM standard.
Furthermore, although Smith assures that QuantumEVM uses post-quantum cryptography (PQC), neither he nor the project documentation reveals which specific algorithms will be implemented.
The project documentation states: The strategy is “hybrid and configurable”: The system uses several main schemes and allows you to choose from them through a configuration file, with the aim of facilitating rapid migration in the event of future quantum attacks.
Over the next “three months,” the project will include fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), which allows data to be processed without decrypting it, and PQC acceleration with graphics processing units (GPUs), according to Smith.
Why isn’t 20 bytes enough?
Ethereum addresses are 160 bits (20 bytes) and are generated using a hash function. As Smith explained, this size makes it vulnerable to the BHT (Brassard-Høyer-Tapp) algorithm, a 1997 quantum method designed to find collisions in hash functions.
According to QuantumEVM executives, for 20-byte addresses, BHT requires approximately 10¹⁶ quantum operations to find collisions and violate those addresses. That is, two different inputs that produce the same address. You may be able to access someone else’s funds without stealing their private keys..
Smith said the risks are greater with Ethereum than with Bitcoin. EVM network smart contract addresses are generated using a hash and a nonce. Creates simpler and easier-to-attack quantum circuits. Bitcoin, on the other hand, obtains addresses through a private key, a public key, and two different hash functions, making the circuitry required for an attack more complex.
The solution implemented by QuantumEVM is: Move to 256-bit (32-byte) address. At this scale, Smith estimates that the same BHT attack would require approximately 2⁸5 operations, a threshold that is practically unfeasible.
Can the same solution be applied to Ethereum?
Technically yes. A discussion thread about moving from 20 to 32 bytes of addresses has existed on Ethereum Magicians, a reference forum for Ethereum developers, since 2021, but the last comment was made in August 2025, indicating that the Ethereum ecosystem has other priorities.
This proposal includes a new opcode for generating 32-byte addresses and a compatibility mechanism with existing contracts.
The obstacles are structural, not technical. Virtually the entire Ethereum ecosystem, contracts, wallets, exchanges, indexers, and bridges based on ERC-20 and ERC-721 standards expect 20-byte addresses.
Moving means massive hard forka new generation of addressing and compression mechanisms to maintain compatibility with legacy contracts. As of March 2026, no formal proposal is underway and there is no clear date for the transition.
Other features and roadmap
In addition to the address redesign, Smith also discussed other features of the QuantumEVM network. Transactions follow a strict first-come, first-served basis. This eliminates the possibility of a validator changing the order of operations to extract value at the expense of the user. This is a practice known as MEV (Maximum Extractable Value).
Furthermore, the cost of gas is fixed in dollar terms and changes inversely with the value of the native QEVM token. The project also has bridges to Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain.
According to the published roadmap, the project is considering a public sale of tokens, listing on a centralized exchange, and starting the first security audit in the first quarter of 2026.
Finally, for Q2, mainnet launch, staking, full availability of EVM and DeFi tools are predicted. The company plans to launch wallets for Android and iOS in the third quarter.
