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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said public-key cryptography may still need one or two more rounds of upgrades, including further increases in key parameters. Speaking with Balaji Srinivasan at the Network State Conference 2026, Buterin compared the adjustments to additional 'Y2K-like' upgrade moments the field will need to navigate.
The remarks put a long-running cryptographic migration back into focus. Public-key infrastructure underpins virtually every blockchain, wallet, and TLS handshake on the internet, and parameter changes ripple through that stack on multi-year timelines.
Buterin said he remains optimistic about where the situation lands, framing the upcoming rounds as navigable rather than existential.
Frequently asked questions
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What did Vitalik Buterin say about public-key cryptography?
He said it may still need one or two more rounds of upgrades, including further increases in key parameters.
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Who did Vitalik make these remarks to?
He spoke with Balaji Srinivasan at the Network State Conference 2026 on October 9.
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How did Vitalik frame the upcoming cryptographic work?
He compared it to additional 'Y2K-like' upgrade moments, multi-year migrations the field has to navigate together.
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How did Vitalik describe the cybersecurity outlook?
He said the sector faces a similar situation with obstacles still ahead, but expressed optimism about where things ultimately land.
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Does this affect Ethereum directly?
Buterin's remarks apply to public-key cryptography broadly, but as Ethereum's co-founder, his framing carries weight for the Ethereum ecosystem's own upgrade roadmap.
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