Overview
- Three staged milestones run through 2026, ending with 128-bit provable security, sub-300 KB proofs, and formal proofs of recursion soundness.
- By the end of February 2026, teams must integrate with soundcalc, the Ethereum Foundation’s official estimator that standardizes security measurement as research evolves.
- A mid-2026 checkpoint requires 100-bit provable security verified in soundcalc, a 600 KB cap on final proofs, and thorough documentation of recursion architectures.
- Recent academic findings challenged proximity-gap assumptions in some STARK-based systems, indicating that claimed 100-bit security may be closer to ~80 bits in practice.
- The Foundation will publish further guidance and update tools in January 2026 and provide cryptography support, while noting uncertainty over whether all major teams can meet the deadlines.