The EF Protocol Cluster Unveils Unified Tier List for Hegotá Upgrade, Charting Ethereum’s Future Path

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) Protocol cluster has released its inaugural unified tier list for the upcoming Hegotá network upgrade, a landmark publication outlining the prioritized Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that will shape the blockchain’s evolution. This comprehensive assessment evaluated 62 EIPs proposed for inclusion in Hegotá, assigning each a specific tier and a concise justification for its grading. This move marks a significant shift towards enhanced coordination and transparency within the core development community, bringing together diverse perspectives into a single, authoritative document.

Historically, individual client teams often published their own opinions on EIP priorities, leading to potentially fragmented views. The Hegotá tier list, however, represents a collaborative effort by approximately 60 individuals across the EF Protocol cluster’s research and engineering departments. While Geth, a prominent Execution Layer (EL) client, will continue to issue its standalone tier list, their feedback, alongside that of every other participating team and individual contributor, was integrated into this unified post as a critical data point. The overarching priorities guiding these evaluations are detailed in a companion post, "EF Protocol: Current and Emerging Priorities," which provides the strategic framework underpinning the selection process.

The Hegotá Upgrade: A Strategic Overview

Hegotá, a codename for a significant future Ethereum network upgrade, follows a lineage of upgrades like Berlin, London, Shanghai, Dencun, and the upcoming Prague/Pectra and Glamsterdam. Each upgrade introduces a bundle of EIPs designed to enhance the network’s scalability, security, decentralization, and user experience. The EF Protocol cluster’s tier list serves as a critical roadmap for core developers, guiding the allocation of scarce engineering resources and setting clear expectations for what will be built and integrated into the protocol. The focus for Hegotá, as inferred from the highly-ranked EIPs, appears to be heavily on improving censorship resistance, advancing quantum-safe cryptography, and fundamentally redesigning the user’s interaction with the blockchain through account abstraction.

A New Era of Protocol Coordination and Transparency

The publication of a unified tier list represents a pivotal moment in Ethereum’s decentralized development. For the first time, all nine teams within the EF Protocol cluster, augmented by several individual domain experts, contributed to a single, consolidated assessment. This extensive process involved 16 contributors filling out templates, with 12 providing explicit tier grades. Many experts focused their evaluations on EIPs within their deep areas of specialization, leading to a total of 397 tier grades across the 62 EIPs. On average, each EIP received 6.4 grades, with the most contentious or impactful proposals drawing as many as nine individual assessments.

The methodology for this unified view was refined through lessons learned from previous retrospectives, particularly concerning the Glamsterdam upgrade. Key takeaways emphasized the importance of accurately sizing EIPs by their integration depth, recognizing how complexity compounds, understanding that testing surface is a scarce resource, and acknowledging that EIP champions often underestimate the true complexity of their proposals. These insights fed into numerous group calls and a dedicated 90-minute working session where contested items were thoroughly debated. Further details on this rigorous process were shared in a public "August 28 process post" (referencing a date prior to the main publication). This meticulous approach underscores the EF Protocol cluster’s commitment to a robust, well-considered development pipeline.

The Rigorous Evaluation Framework: Defining Tiers and Delivery Expectations

The core of the tier list lies in its scoring system, which assigns a numerical value to each tier: S (Superior) = 4, A (Excellent) = 3, B (Good) = 2, C (Conditional) = 1, and D/DFI (Declined/Deferred For Investigation) = 0. An abstention from grading an EIP did not count against its proposal, ensuring that only informed opinions influenced the average score. The "published tier" for each EIP is not merely a mathematical average but a "steelman" outcome, refined through vigorous EIP-by-EIP argumentation during working sessions, allowing for upward or downward adjustments based on collective consensus and strategic alignment. Individual team grades, however, were not publicly disclosed, fostering an environment of collective responsibility for the final list.

Crucially, each tier level is intrinsically linked to specific delivery expectations, committing the cluster to a clear scope of work:

• S-tier: Must-ship, critical for the upgrade’s core objectives.
• A-tier: Expected to ship, high confidence in inclusion.
• B-tier: Requires further development or clarification to be included.
• C-tier: Below the current line, significant concerns or dependencies.
• D/DFI-tier: Declined or deferred, not a priority for this upgrade.
• TBD-tier: To Be Determined, pending external data or decisions.

The notes accompanying each EIP in the official tables adhere to a strict pattern: merits are highlighted for proposals expected to ship, specific requirements for advancement are stated for "bubble" items, and clear concerns are articulated for declined or deferred proposals. This structured feedback mechanism ensures transparency and provides actionable insights for EIP champions.

Consensus Layer: Pillars of Stability and Innovation

The Consensus Layer (CL) EIPs are fundamental to the network’s security, finality, and overall health. The Hegotá tier list reveals a strong emphasis on core protocol improvements and strategic cleanups.

S-Tier & A-Tier Highlights:

• EIP-7805 (FOCIL – Forced Inclusion List): Graded a unanimous S-tier with a perfect 4 (7 votes), FOCIL stands out as a "locked-in CL headliner." This critical EIP aims to provide any user with a direct path to include an eligible transaction without relying solely on centralized block builders. This directly addresses concerns around censorship resistance and miner extractable value (MEV), bolstering Ethereum’s decentralization principles. Its implementation is intended to ship alongside EIP-8369.
• EIP-8369 (VOPS Profiles for FOCIL Eligibility): An A-tier proposal (3.5 average from 4 votes), EIP-8369 is a core component that defines which transactions are eligible for FOCIL and outlines the verification requirements for validators, extending inclusion guarantees to "Frames" (a new transaction type).
• EIP-8015 (Remove Deposit and eth1data Fields): An A-tier cleanup (3.14 average from 7 votes), this EIP removes deprecated deposit and eth1data fields that no longer serve a purpose, streamlining the protocol and reducing unnecessary complexity.
• EIP-8365 (BLS Withdrawal Credential Retirement): This A-tier EIP (3 average from 8 votes) initiates the retirement of withdrawal credentials tied to potentially vulnerable cryptography, a proactive step towards quantum resistance. It’s noted as the one "PQ (Post-Quantum) item that belongs in Hegotá," indicating a cautious but firm commitment to future-proofing.
• EIP-8383 (Reduce CL Block Retention Window): A write-in proposal achieving A-tier (3 average from 2 votes), this EIP proposes a constant change to the block retention window, correcting a suboptimal initial choice and improving network efficiency.
• EIP-8334 (Bundled Attestation Propagation): An A-tier proposal (2.43 average from 7 votes), this EIP aims to significantly cut gossip load by bundling attestation propagation, improving network performance with a minimal impact surface.
• EIP-8025 (Optional Execution Proofs): Also A-tier (2.38 average from 8 votes), this EIP integrates stateless execution changes into the canonical execution specifications, ensuring that zero-knowledge Virtual Machine (zkVM) development can proceed without diverging from the main protocol.

B-Tier: Promising but with Prerequisites:

• EIP-8146 (Block Access List Sidecars): This B-tier EIP (2.13 average from 8 votes) aims to enhance block propagation and validation. Its advancement to A-tier hinges on settling the observation deadline within its specification.
• EIP-8237 (Independent CL/EL Sync): A B-tier proposal (2 average from 6 votes) exploring bandwidth savings by decoupling CL and EL sync. A simpler non-EIP alternative is being considered, and a comparison between both options will determine its fate.
• EIP-8198 (Quick Slots): Graded B-tier (2 average from 6 votes), this EIP, despite S/A support from R&D, faced D-tier ratings from engineering teams due to potential re-tuning cascades. It requires comprehensive specifications, a full prototype, an in-depth ecosystem impact assessment, and confirmation that it doesn’t complicate decoupled consensus before A-tier consideration.
• EIP-8321 (Hash-Chain RANDAO): A B-tier proposal (1.57 average from 7 votes) for hardening a consensus component. It is deemed "wrong sequencing" as it precedes a complete Post-Quantum (PQ) consensus design, risking rework. It will advance once a comprehensive PQ design is established.

C & DFI Tiers: Strategic Deferrals and Declines:
Many EIPs in these tiers were either deemed not urgent for Hegotá, required more foundational work, or presented complexities disproportionate to their immediate benefits.

• EIP-8371 (RowDAS: Distributed Blob Reconstruction): A C-tier proposal (2.11 average from 9 votes), its deferral is a matter of priority rather than principle, balancing current operator needs against future headroom investment.
• EIP-8142 (Block-in-Blobs – BiB): A unanimous DFI (0 average from 7 votes), BiB was rejected for deepening dependence on KZG structures, conflicting with the future J* roadmap.
• EIP-7716 (Anti-Correlation Attestation Penalties): A DFI (0.83 average from 6 votes) proposal, rejected for adding slashing-logic complexity without contributing to CROPS or PQ initiatives, deemed not a priority for a light CL scope.
• EIP-8375 (ePBS Mandatory Burn of Execution Rewards) and EIP-8363 (Tapered Issuance Burn): Both DFI (0 average), these proposals related to reward and issuance policy were deemed outside the scope of a fork scoping exercise, belonging instead to broader ecosystem discussions.

Execution Layer: Enhancing User Experience and Core Functionality

The Execution Layer (EL) EIPs focus on improving smart contract capabilities, transaction efficiency, and the overall developer and user experience.

S-Tier & A-Tier Highlights:

• EIP-8141 (Frame Transactions): Achieving a near-perfect S-tier with an average of 3.89 (9 votes), EIP-8141 is the "locked-in EL headliner." It introduces native account abstraction on security grounds, providing a path for Post-Quantum (PQ) signature schemes without requiring a fork for each new scheme. It also enables aggregation for PQ verification pricing and offers a route to retire vulnerable k1 keys. It is slated to ship with EIP-8250 and EIP-8272.
• EIP-3298 (Removal of Refunds): An A-tier proposal (3.17 average from 6 votes), this EIP eliminates an entire class of metering edge cases that caused significant issues in previous forks, simplifying gas accounting.
• EIP-8250 (Keyed Nonces for Frame Transactions): A core Frames component (A-tier, 3.12 average from 8 votes), keyed nonces enable multiple users to share a single sender address while maintaining separate nonces, enhancing anonymity and preventing transaction blocking.
• EIP-5920 (PAY Opcode): An A-tier EIP (3 average from 6 votes) introducing a small but impactful feature that allows value transfer without invoking recipient code, closing a long-standing issue with low surface area and high leverage.
• EIP-8272 (Recent Roots for Frame Transactions): Another Frames core component (A-tier, 2.86 average from 7 votes), recent roots enable private transactions to leverage recent on-chain state verifiable by attesters, allowing them to benefit from FOCIL’s inclusion guarantees.
• EIP-8279 (Block Access List Byte Floor) & EIP-8131 (Unified Transaction Content Floor): These A-tier proposals (2.71 and 2.67 average respectively) are a pair of "repricing" EIPs focused on security. They bound worst-case block construction by flooring adversarial Block Access List (BAL) pricing and calldata content, crucial security work that sets a baseline for gas costs.
• EIP-7906 (Transaction Assertions via State Diff Opcode): An A-tier Frames extension (2.43 average from 7 votes), this EIP allows transactions to verify conditions before committing, preventing wallet drains and certain types of MEV extraction. It’s currently running on a public devnet, with a proposed narrowing of scope to focus on events and BAL-touched slots.
• EIP-8298 (SETCODEFROM Code Reuse Instruction) & EIP-8151 (Account Code Restricted ecRecover): This A-tier package (2.17 and 2 average respectively) forms the "k1-retirement package." EIP-8298 allows a 7702-delegated account to become a true smart-contract account, dropping the vulnerable k1 master key, and also reduces deployment costs. EIP-8151 ensures that once real code exists at an address, ecRecover-based authentication is rejected, making retired keys safe.
• EIP-4758 (Deactivate SELFDESTRUCT): Despite a lower average (1.5 from 6 votes), this EIP was elevated to A-tier due to an override by Engineering teams. It removes the last SELFDESTRUCT path, a persistent testing hazard that complicates every future EIP, making the Frames design simpler.

B-Tier: Under Review for Optimization:

• EIP-8253 (Bump Nonce of Zero-Nonce Storage Accounts): A B-tier proposal (2.29 average from 7 votes) that, while not strictly necessary, significantly simplifies the trie migration process. Its promotion to A-tier depends on proving room within devnet sequencing.
• EIP-8077 (eth/XX: Announce Transactions with Nonce): A B-tier EIP (2 average from 5 votes) aimed at richer announcements for the Frames-era mempool. It requires a settled wire format to move to A-tier.
• EIP-8374 (Persist Warm Access Sets Across Reverts) & EIP-7709 (Read BLOCKHASH from Storage and Update Cost): These B-tier EIPs (1.67 average each) are considered valuable for future directions (like history expiry) and repricing. Their potential for A-tier depends on smooth devnet sequencing.

C & DFI Tiers: Balancing Innovation with Stability:
Many EL EIPs in these tiers were deferred or declined due to concerns about auditing, premature standardization, interaction with future designs, or breaking changes.

• EIP-8200 (EVMification) & EIP-7666 (EVM-ify the Identity Precompile): These C-tier proposals (1.43 and 1 average respectively) aim to replace precompiles with bytecode. They require rigorous auditing to ensure exact behavior matching and consistency across clients.
• EIP-8355 (ML-DSA Verification Precompiles): A C-tier proposal (1 average from 9 votes) for enshrining a specific Post-Quantum (PQ) verification scheme. It was rejected for "premature standardization" ahead of a dedicated cryptographic adjudication process.
• EIP-8163 (Reserve EXTENSION (0xae) Opcode): A DFI (2.33 average, but listed DFI) because no committed consumer for the reserved opcode ships in Hegotá, and reservation can happen in any future fork.
• EIP-7979 (Call and Return Opcodes for the EVM): A DFI (1.33 average) for adding control-flow complexity to an upgrade already burdened with two headliners and their extensive testing.
• EIP-7645 (Alias ORIGIN to SENDER): A unanimous DFI (0 average from 6 votes) due to the risk of breaking assumptions in deployed contracts with no clear security gain.

TBD Category: Awaiting Market Data:
Two repricing EIPs fall into the "To Be Determined" category, awaiting critical data from the Glamsterdam upgrade.

• EIP-8368 (CPSB Recalibration for New Gas Limit) & EIP-8372 (Normalized State Gas Limit): These proposals, despite EIP-8368 drawing majority S/A support, are contingent on mainnet evidence from Glamsterdam’s repricing. A decision on recalibrating, normalizing, or neither cannot be made until that data is available.

Implications for Ethereum’s Future

The Hegotá tier list is more than just a list of EIPs; it’s a strategic declaration of intent from the Ethereum Foundation Protocol cluster.

• Focused Development and Resource Allocation: By explicitly declining 28 proposals and setting clear conditions for 15 others, the cluster ensures that scarce developer resources are concentrated on the most impactful and strategically aligned EIPs. This disciplined approach minimizes scope creep and maximizes the likelihood of a timely and stable upgrade. "Success here is determined as much by what we decline as by what we ship," highlights this philosophy.
• Strategic Direction: Account Abstraction and Quantum Resistance: The prominence of EIP-8141 (Frame Transactions) and EIP-7805 (FOCIL) as S-tier headliners, along with quantum-related EIPs like EIP-8365, signals a clear strategic emphasis on enhancing user experience through native account abstraction, improving censorship resistance, and proactively addressing future cryptographic threats. These are foundational shifts that will redefine how users interact with Ethereum and how transactions are processed.
• Transparency and Community Engagement: The publication of this unified list, coupled with the upcoming Reddit AMA on r/ethereum on September 16 at 2pm UTC, underscores the EF Protocol cluster’s commitment to transparency and open dialogue. It provides a formal avenue for EIP champions and the broader community to understand the rationale behind grading decisions and to challenge them constructively. This fosters a more informed and engaged ecosystem.
• Long-Term Vision: Many of the "Declined" or "Deferred" EIPs are not necessarily dismissed permanently but are simply not prioritized for Hegotá. Their reasons for deferral often point to dependencies on future designs (e.g., Post-Quantum consensus), a need for more research, or better sequencing with broader roadmap items (e.g., history and logs work, I* trie-migration). This indicates a thoughtful, multi-upgrade planning horizon.

In Closing

Of the 62 proposals rigorously evaluated for Hegotá, two are unequivocally deemed "must-ship," and 15 are "expected to ship," forming the core of the next major Ethereum upgrade. Conversely, 28 proposals have been "declined with stated reasons," providing clarity and preventing unnecessary resource expenditure. The remaining 15 EIPs consist of eight B-tier proposals with specific requirements for inclusion, seven C-tier proposals currently below the inclusion line, and two TBD proposals awaiting crucial mainnet data from the Glamsterdam upgrade.

This unified tier list is a testament to the Ethereum core development community’s maturity and its commitment to a strategic, collaborative, and transparent development process. The companion post, "EF Protocol: Current and Emerging Priorities," offers further insight into the long-term vision and commitments that guided every grade. The upcoming Reddit AMA provides an invaluable opportunity for the community, especially champions of non-A-tier or declined EIPs, to engage directly with the protocol cluster, ensuring that all voices are heard as Ethereum continues its ambitious journey forward.