Ethereum hits record transactions at rock-bottom fees while Vitalik promises to nuke 'trust-me' wallets by 2026 and drops $2M on fighting quantum computers nobody has

Ethereum has reached record daily transaction activity, with over 2.1 million transactions, while average fees have fallen to historic lows. This surge in usage is driven by stablecoin transfers and payments, with Tether's USDT volume on-chain running roughly twice that of Circle's USDC. Meanwhile, Vitalik Buterin predicts 2026 will mark the end of "trust-me" wallets, which rely on centralized RPC providers. The Ethereum Foundation has launched a Post-Quantum Security team, led by Thomas Coratger, with a $2 million research prize to harden Ethereum against future quantum threats. The team aims to deliver a full transition to post-quantum security with zero downtime and zero loss of funds. Additionally, the ERC-7779 draft introduces standardized interfaces for safe wallet migration, addressing storage collision risks. These developments underscore Ethereum's growing role as a resilient settlement layer, with a focus on trust-minimized operation and quantum resistance, positioning it for long-term security and scalability.