EF: In 2026, the focus shifted from speed to security, establishing strict 128-bit encryption rules

BlockBeats News, December 21st, the Ethereum Foundation announced that in 2026, it will shift its focus from speed to security and set strict 128-bit encryption rules. The Foundation stated that over the past year, zkEVM has made significant progress in performance, but some solutions rely on insufficiently validated mathematical assumptions. Theoretically, there is a risk of on-chain state forgery. Therefore, the next stage's more critical work is to strengthen formal verification, resistance to attacks, and basic cryptographic security.

The Foundation will provide security audit and evaluation tools in the future, requiring zkEVM to achieve a minimum of 128-bit security strength by 2026, equivalent to the current mainstream cryptographic accreditation level. The new standard may slow down the progress of some scalability projects. Still, the Foundation emphasizes that in the long run, resilience to attacks and credibility are essential prerequisites for attracting institutions and high-value applications. It is better to focus on security first and then improve performance.