Layla Zulfa
The ongoing All Core Developer (ACD) calls, pivotal forums for guiding Ethereum’s evolution, continue to chart the network’s future through a series of ambitious upgrades. As documented in the periodic "Checkpoint" updates, these high-level summaries aim to distill the often-intricate discussions from core development, offering a crucial window into the technical progress and strategic decisions shaping the blockchain. While previous upgrades like Dencun and Pectra have demonstrated the Ethereum community’s capacity for rapid iteration, the current development cycle, particularly with the upcoming Glamsterdam hard fork, presents unique complexities, leading to a measured but determined pace. The community remains engaged, balancing the urgency of innovation with the paramount need for network stability and security.
Glamsterdam: Tackling Foundational Shifts with Enshrined PBS
Glamsterdam, the next major network upgrade, is currently well into its implementation phase, though its progress has been characterized by a slower, more deliberate pace than some earlier forks. This measured approach is primarily attributed to the profound technical challenges associated with its flagship feature: Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS). This critical enhancement aims to fundamentally alter how blocks are produced on Ethereum, moving the coordination between block proposers and builders from an off-chain, opaque mechanism into the protocol’s core consensus layer. The shift is designed to mitigate the risks associated with Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) by decentralizing block production, improving censorship resistance, and ultimately strengthening the network’s neutrality and fairness.
Implementing ePBS, however, is proving to be a highly intricate endeavor. By integrating this two-party coordination directly into the protocol, developers must now contend with the complexities of "partial blocks" and the potential for disagreement or failure between proposers and builders within the consensus mechanism. This necessitates a comprehensive re-evaluation and adjustment across every layer of the Ethereum stack, touching practically every component of client software. The extensive nature of these changes requires meticulous design, rigorous testing, and careful coordination among various client teams to ensure seamless integration and prevent unintended consequences.
Beyond ePBS, Glamsterdam is also slated to include several other significant improvements. A bundle of gas repricings, detailed on platforms like gasrepricing.com, are being prioritized. These repricings are not merely arbitrary adjustments but are designed to make gas costs a more accurate reflection of the actual computational resources consumed by various operations on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). By aligning gas fees more closely with resource utilization, these EIPs aim to optimize network efficiency, deter spam, and potentially enhance the overall user experience by providing more predictable transaction costs. The ongoing complexities of these repricings are being systematically addressed, with reports detailing the necessary work through platforms like GitHub.
Another feature gaining significant traction and "constructively vocal" support from ecosystem developers is EIP-7954, which proposes an increase to the maximum contract size. This enhancement is crucial for enabling the deployment of more sophisticated decentralized applications (DApps) and smart contracts, pushing the boundaries of what developers can build on Ethereum. Larger contract sizes allow for greater functionality, potentially reducing the need for complex, multi-contract architectures and streamlining development. Its likely prioritization underscores the developer community’s demand for greater flexibility and capability within the network.
On the execution layer, Block-level Access Lists (BALs), specified under EIP-7928, represent a fundamental rethinking of how gas and state access mechanisms operate within the EVM. BALs are intrinsically linked to the successful implementation of ePBS, as they provide a necessary framework for how execution clients process and validate transactions within a partially built block. The development of BALs on dedicated devnets is making steady, albeit challenging, progress, tackling expectedly difficult problems related to state management and transaction processing under the new ePBS paradigm.
The development roadmap for Glamsterdam involves a series of critical testing phases. Developers are aiming to launch the first generalized Glamsterdam devnet in the immediate future, contingent on the stabilization of the current ePBS-specific devnet. This will be followed by several iterations of devnets, progressively incorporating more of the non-headliner features. Once a stable devnet, encompassing all planned features, is achieved, client teams will proceed with cutting official client releases. A final round of security reviews will then precede deployment to public testnets. Only after these testnets demonstrate robust stability will the highly anticipated mainnet fork date be officially announced, reflecting a cautious and security-first approach to network upgrades.
Hegotá: Charting the Next Course with FOCIL and Account Abstraction Ambitions
Following Glamsterdam, the Hegotá upgrade is already taking shape, with its major features having undergone a thorough selection process. EIP-7805, known as FOCIL (Future of Consensus Layer Improvement), has been officially selected as the consensus layer headliner. While the specific technical details of FOCIL are extensive, its selection signifies a commitment to significant advancements in the underlying consensus mechanism, likely aimed at improving the efficiency, security, or decentralization aspects of block finalization and validation. This strategic choice underscores the core developers’ continuous focus on strengthening Ethereum’s foundational layer.
On the execution layer front, the discussion surrounding Account Abstraction (AA) proposals generated considerable debate. Account Abstraction is a long-sought-after feature that aims to blur the lines between externally owned accounts (EOAs) and smart contract accounts, enabling smart contracts to initiate transactions and offering unprecedented flexibility in how users manage their cryptographic keys and interact with the blockchain. This would unlock a host of user experience improvements, such as custom authentication schemes (e.g., multi-factor authentication), social recovery of accounts, batching transactions, and allowing third parties to pay for transaction fees (sponsored transactions).
Despite its widely acknowledged importance and the strong community interest, a specific Account Abstraction proposal, EIP-8141 ("Frame transactions"), did not achieve sufficient consensus for headliner status in Hegotá. The primary reason cited was a lack of agreement among client developers regarding specific implementation choices. Consequently, EIP-8141 has been moved to "Considered for Inclusion" (CFI) status as a non-headliner. This decision, however, comes with a clear commitment to continue working on an Account Abstraction proposal that can garner broader support from client developers and actively involve the wider community in its refinement. This signals that while the immediate path for a specific AA implementation might be uncertain, the overarching goal remains firmly on the roadmap.
Beyond these primary features, there’s a growing undercurrent of interest within the developer community to prioritize quantum resistance. The threat of quantum computers potentially breaking current cryptographic primitives used in blockchain security is a long-term concern, and proactive measures are being explored. While no standalone quantum resistance proposal has yet been introduced, several Account Abstraction proposals have incorporated quantum resistance as part of a broader package. This highlights a forward-looking perspective, anticipating future security challenges.
The process for proposing non-headlining features for Hegotá commenced on April 9th, allowing any interested party to submit an EIP by pulling it into the "Proposed for Inclusion" section of the upgrade’s meta EIP (EIP-8081). The closing date for these submissions will be announced at least two weeks in advance, providing ample time for community participation. Comprehensive and up-to-date information regarding Hegotá’s process and timeline is consistently maintained on its dedicated Forkcast page, ensuring transparency and accessibility for all stakeholders. The ultimate release date for Hegotá, however, will be significantly influenced by the progress and successful deployment of Glamsterdam in the coming months, underscoring the interconnected nature of Ethereum’s upgrade pipeline.
Optimizing Network Capacity: The Ongoing Pursuit of Higher Gas Limits
A persistent area of focus for Ethereum core developers is the network’s gas limit, which dictates the maximum amount of computational work that can be included in a single block. Continuous testing of gas limit increases is being conducted on devnets, with a current baseline target of 60 million gas for Glamsterdam and subsequent upgrades. This increase is aimed at enhancing network throughput, allowing for more transactions and complex operations per block, which can, in turn, alleviate congestion and potentially reduce transaction fees during periods of high demand.
However, the implications of raising the gas limit extend beyond mere capacity. Higher limits can increase the demands on node operators in terms of processing power, storage, and bandwidth, potentially impacting decentralization if it makes running a full node too resource-intensive. Therefore, testing is actively being performed at much higher limits than 60 million gas to thoroughly understand the performance implications and identify necessary optimizations across all client implementations. Much of the gas repricing work currently being implemented as part of Glamsterdam is directly enabling the safe and sustainable achievement of these higher gas limits. By adjusting the cost of various EVM operations to more accurately reflect their true resource consumption, developers can create a more balanced and efficient network, allowing for greater overall capacity without compromising stability or increasing the risk of denial-of-service attacks.
Fostering Participation: The EIP Champion’s Handbook and Strategic Roadmapping
To streamline and encourage community involvement in Ethereum’s decentralized development, new resources have been published on the Protocol Support team website. The "EIP Champions Handbook" serves as a comprehensive guide for authors and advocates looking to champion feature proposals and solicit stakeholder feedback. This initiative is vital for maintaining the open and collaborative spirit of Ethereum’s governance, empowering individuals and teams to contribute meaningfully to the network’s evolution. By providing clear guidance on navigating the EIP (Ethereum Improvement Proposal) process, the handbook lowers the barrier to entry for innovators and ensures that a diverse range of ideas can be formally considered for inclusion in future upgrades.
While the rapid succession of previous upgrades like Pectra and Fusaka initially fueled excitement for an accelerated upgrade cadence, Glamsterdam’s current trajectory highlights the inherent challenges of implementing foundational protocol changes. The complexity of ePBS, in particular, has necessitated a more cautious and meticulous approach, contributing to a slower pace than initially anticipated. Despite this, core client developers reportedly remain undeterred by the challenge, viewing it as a necessary phase in strengthening Ethereum’s long-term architecture.
Looking ahead, the selection of a single headliner for Hegotá, FOCIL, offers the potential for a quicker follow-up upgrade to Glamsterdam, assuming the process for non-headliner features progresses smoothly. The possibility also remains that an agreed-upon Account Abstraction proposal, given its immense importance to the community and potential for enhanced user experience, could still be promoted to headliner status within Hegotá or a subsequent upgrade.
In a broader strategic context, the publication of the "strawmap" earlier this year, though not an "official Ethereum roadmap," has significantly reinvigorated discussions and enthusiasm for having a guiding framework. This unofficial, community-driven visual representation helps to align priorities and foster consensus on future feature choices during the upgrade process. It serves as a beneficial tool in helping the diverse Ethereum community to coalesce around shared objectives, providing a high-level vision that complements the detailed, technical discussions in ACD calls. This strategic guidance, combined with robust community engagement tools like the EIP Champions Handbook, reinforces Ethereum’s commitment to decentralized, iterative, and community-driven development.
The current phase of Ethereum development, marked by the intricate work on Glamsterdam and the forward planning for Hegotá, underscores a period of profound foundational refinement. While the pace may appear deliberate, it reflects a necessary commitment to robust engineering and comprehensive testing, ensuring the security, stability, and long-term viability of the world’s leading smart contract platform. The active participation of core developers, supported by structured community engagement and strategic visioning, continues to drive Ethereum towards a more scalable, efficient, and user-friendly future.
Relevant All Core Developer Calls (January 21st – April 9th):
- ACDT (All Core Devs – Technical): 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67
- ACDC (All Core Devs – Consensus): 176, 175, 174, 173
- ACDE (All Core Devs – Execution): 234, 233, 232, 231, 230, 229
