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Ethereum Foundation Drops Poseidon Hashing for SHA2 or BLAKE2

08-13

Ethereum Foundation abandons Poseidon hashing for SHA2/BLAKE2 at L1, citing SNARK design breakthroughs that allow traditional hashes to match performance in circuits.

Woofun AI reports that the Ethereum Foundation has ceased using the Poseidon hashing algorithm at the L1 layer, opting instead for SHA2 or BLAKE2. Researcher Justin Drake confirmed this pivot follows eight years of post-quantum cryptography research, noting that "binary field" SNARK advancements now allow traditional hashes to perform comparably to Poseidon.

This shift enables a single laptop to process approximately 1 million hash verifications per second. LeanVM is targeted for a 2027 launch, with full layer deployment expected by 2028.

WOOFUN AI

Impact Assessment · Quick Read

The move away from Poseidon signals a maturation of SNARK technology, reducing reliance on specialized algorithms. By enabling standard hashes like SHA2 to function efficiently in circuits, the ecosystem may see lower implementation complexity and broader hardware compatibility. The 2027-2028 timeline for leanVM and layer deployments suggests a structured rollout of these post-quantum upgrades.
Generated by WOOFUN AI · For reference only, not investment advice

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Ethereum Foundation moving from Poseidon to SHA2 or BLAKE2 suggests performance parity is now achievable with standard hashes. The claim that a single laptop can verify 1 million hashes per second implies significant efficiency gains for LeanVM's 2027 target. While the pivot follows eight years of post-quantum research, binary field SNARK advancements seem to have reduced the unique advantage Poseidon previously held. Does this shift eliminate the need for further exotic hash exploration in future scaling solutions?
After eight years of research, the switch from Poseidon to SHA2 or BLAKE2 on L1 seems to finally solve performance limits for LeanVM. Does relying on traditional hashes undermine any previous post-quantum security goals?
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