Ethereum Foundation Unveils "Strawmap" Roadmap Targeting Sub-16-Second Finality and Base-Layer Upgrades by 2029

The Ethereum Foundation has released a draft roadmap called the "Strawmap" outlining potential base-layer upgrades through 2029, including near-instant transaction finality, higher throughput, built-in privacy, quantum-resistant cryptography and tighter layer-2 alignment, CoinDesk reports. Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin said in a response thread the plan aims to decouple slots and finality, bringing endgame finality from roughly 16 minutes today to 6–16 seconds, while Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake told CoinDesk that second-level finality could improve L2 bridging and user experience. The draft also considers native shielded transfers at the base layer for more private ETH movements and aligns with the foundation's recently formed post-quantum team exploring long-term security for a network securing over $200 billion in value.