Optimism (OP) is proactively addressing the looming threat of quantum computing while simultaneously refining its tokenomics. The Layer-2 scaling solution has announced an ambitious 10-year roadmap aimed at phasing out current ECDSA cryptography by the year 2036. This initiative is designed to fortify the “Superchain,” a network of interconnected chains such as Base and World Chain, against potential quantum-scale assaults on digital signatures.
Pioneered by OP Labs, the roadmap seeks to transition Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to post-quantum smart contract accounts. By employing account abstraction and EIP-7702, the network plans to implement changes to its signature schemes through hard forks, allowing users to retain their existing balances without disruption. This significant undertaking will necessitate a coordinated effort among sequencers and the Ethereum base layer to adopt post-quantum algorithms, ensuring that the security inherited from the Ethereum mainnet remains intact and robust.
Governance Vote on Revenue-Backed Buybacks
While the technical roadmap stretches a decade into the future, the immediate focus for the Optimism Collective is a pivotal governance vote set to conclude on January 28, 2026. The proposal aims to allocate 50% of Superchain revenue towards monthly OP token buybacks. Currently, the Superchain commands over 60% of the Layer-2 fee market share, generating significant ETH revenue from sequencers.
Advocates of the buyback initiative argue that this strategy will transform the OP token from merely a governance asset into one that is closely tied to the actual economic activity of the network. As of now, the OP token is trading near $0.30, following a tumultuous 2025. Should the proposal receive approval, the buyback program is expected to commence in February 2026, establishing a structural demand for OP tokens that aligns with the growth of the Superchain.
With established protocols like Uniswap and Synthetix already integrated into its ecosystem, Optimism is banking on this combination of advanced quantum readiness and innovative revenue-centric tokenomics to cement its status as the leading scaling solution within the Ethereum landscape.
