Layla Zulfa
Ethereum’s core development team has announced a significant restructuring of its "Protocol" initiatives for 2026, building on a highly productive 2025 that saw two major network upgrades and substantial progress across critical scaling and user experience fronts. The revised framework, detailed in a recent blog post, streamlines efforts into three key tracks: "Scale," "Improve UX," and a newly introduced "Harden the L1," signaling a mature and holistic approach to the network’s future evolution. This strategic realignment aims to foster greater coordination and address the evolving needs of the global Ethereum community as the blockchain continues its trajectory toward mass adoption.
A Foundation of Progress: Ethereum’s Transformative 2025
The year 2025 proved to be a pivotal period for Ethereum at the protocol level, characterized by relentless innovation and the successful deployment of complex upgrades. Launched in June 2024, the initial Protocol framework focused on three strategic initiatives: Scale L1, Scale Blobs, and Improve UX, each designed to tackle specific bottlenecks and enhance the network’s capabilities. The tangible results of these efforts have laid a robust foundation for the ambitious plans now set for 2026.
One of the year’s defining moments was the deployment of the Pectra network upgrade on mainnet in May. Pectra introduced several critical Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that fundamentally altered how users interact with the blockchain and how the network processes data. Foremost among these was EIP-7702, a groundbreaking proposal enabling Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to temporarily execute smart contract code. This innovation was widely lauded by the developer community for unlocking powerful new functionalities, including transaction batching, where multiple operations can be combined into a single transaction, significantly reducing gas fees and improving efficiency. Furthermore, it paved the way for gas sponsorship, allowing third parties to cover transaction costs for users, and enhanced social recovery mechanisms, bolstering security and user control over assets.
Beyond user-centric improvements, Pectra also addressed core scaling challenges. EIP-7691 notably doubled blob throughput, an essential step in expanding Ethereum’s data availability layer, particularly for Layer 2 (L2) rollups. Blobs, introduced with the Dencun upgrade, provide a cost-effective way for L2s to post transaction data to the mainnet, and increasing their capacity directly translates to lower L2 transaction costs and higher throughput. Simultaneously, EIP-7251 raised the maximum effective validator balance to 2,048 ETH, a measure aimed at improving capital efficiency for staking participants and potentially increasing network security by encouraging more stake. Validator onboarding times were also dramatically shortened by EIP-6110, making it easier and faster for new validators to join the network, thus contributing to greater decentralization and resilience.
The momentum continued into the latter half of the year with the Fusaka upgrade, which landed on mainnet in December. Fusaka’s marquee feature was the implementation of EIP-7594, or PeerDAS (Peer Data Availability Sampling). This advancement fundamentally changed how validators handle blob data. Instead of requiring all validators to download full blob data – a resource-intensive process that can limit capacity – PeerDAS enables validators to sample portions of the data. This significantly reduces bandwidth requirements for individual nodes, a crucial step toward scaling data availability. The immediate impact was an 8x increase in theoretical blob capacity, setting the stage for future expansions. Following Fusaka, two Blob Parameter Only (BPO) forks were shipped, incrementally increasing the number of blobs per block from an initial six towards higher targets, a testament to the community’s commitment to continuous scaling.
In parallel with these major upgrades, the Ethereum community demonstrated its agility by steadily raising the mainnet gas limit. Starting from an initial 30 million, the limit was gradually increased to 60 million, marking the first significant adjustment since 2021. This increase directly translates to more computational capacity per block, allowing for more transactions and complex operations to be processed on the Layer 1 blockchain, albeit carefully managed to maintain network health.
Furthermore, efforts to optimize node operation and enhance user experience were prominent throughout 2025. History expiry, a long-anticipated feature, successfully removed pre-Merge data from full nodes, saving hundreds of gigabytes of disk space for node operators. This reduction in storage requirements makes running a full node more accessible, further decentralizing the network. On the user experience front, the Open Intents Framework reached production readiness, providing a standardized way for users to express their desired outcomes, which can then be fulfilled by various protocols. Progress was also made on L1 fast confirmation rule implementations across consensus clients, aimed at reducing the time users wait for transaction finality. Interoperability standards, such as ERC-7930 + ERC-7828 for interoperable addresses and names and ERC-7888: Crosschain Broadcaster, advanced significantly, laying the groundwork for more seamless interactions across different L2s and other blockchain ecosystems.
"The achievements of 2025 underscore the Ethereum community’s unwavering dedication to technical excellence and user-centric development," commented a protocol researcher involved in the initiatives. "Each upgrade, each EIP, and each incremental improvement was a step towards a more scalable, usable, and robust blockchain for everyone."
Evolving for Impact: The 2026 Protocol Tracks
While 2025’s initiative structure served its purpose in delivering specific milestones, the Ethereum core development team recognized the need for a more integrated and higher-level organizational framework for 2026. The initial structure, closely tied to near-term deliverables like increasing the gas limit and shipping PeerDAS, naturally evolved as those objectives were met. The new 2026 structure organizes Protocol’s work into three overarching tracks, designed to foster a more holistic and interconnected approach to development:
Scale: Unified Efforts for Throughput Expansion
Led by Ansgar Dietrichs, Marius van der Wijden, and Raúl Kripalani, the newly unified "Scale" track consolidates what was previously separated into "Scale L1" and "Scale Blobs." This integration reflects a critical understanding among protocol researchers: the work of increasing Layer 1 execution capacity and expanding data availability throughput are deeply intertwined. Performance enhancements in L1 execution engines directly influence the viability of higher gas limits, while advancements in networking and consensus mechanisms for blobs often touch the same client codebases.
This unified approach is expected to enhance coordination, accelerate development, and provide a more comprehensive perspective on scaling challenges. By bringing these efforts under a single leadership, the team can address dependencies more effectively and identify synergies that might otherwise be missed. The track will focus on pushing the boundaries of both transaction processing and data availability. This includes continued research and implementation of further gas limit increases, contingent on ongoing execution engine performance optimizations and network stability. Furthermore, the track is tasked with the continued ramp-up of blob capacity, moving beyond the theoretical 8x increase from PeerDAS towards practical, higher targets as the network demonstrates resilience. The long-term goal remains to make Ethereum a high-throughput settlement layer, capable of supporting a global ecosystem of Layer 2 solutions with minimal costs and maximal efficiency.
"The decision to merge L1 and blob scaling efforts is a pragmatic one," noted a lead developer. "These two areas are two sides of the same coin when it comes to throughput. A coordinated approach allows us to make faster, more informed decisions and ensures that our scaling efforts are truly holistic."
Improve UX: Native Account Abstraction and Interoperability
The "Improve UX" track, spearheaded by Barnabé Monnot and Matt Garnett, continues its mission from the previous year but with a sharpened focus on two areas deemed highest-leverage for Ethereum’s usability in 2026: native account abstraction and interoperability. The overarching goal is to make Ethereum more accessible, intuitive, and seamless for end-users, ultimately driving mainstream adoption.
On the front of native account abstraction (AA), EIP-7702 was a crucial first step, but the vision extends far beyond temporary smart contract code execution. The ultimate objective is for smart contract wallets to become the default user experience, eliminating the need for bundlers, relayers, or additional gas overhead typically associated with current AA implementations. Proposals such as EIP-7701 and the more recent EIP-8141 (Frame Transactions) are actively being explored to embed smart account logic directly into the protocol itself. This would enable features like multi-signature accounts, social recovery, and custom authentication schemes natively, without relying on external infrastructure. Critically, this work also intersects with Ethereum’s post-quantum readiness roadmap. Native AA provides a natural and robust migration path away from the currently dominant ECDSA-based authentication, allowing for the integration of quantum-resistant cryptographic signatures as the threat landscape evolves. Complementary to this are ongoing proposals aimed at significantly improving the gas efficiency of verifying quantum-resistant signatures within the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), ensuring that future-proofing the network doesn’t come at an exorbitant cost.
Interoperability remains the second pillar of the UX track. Building on the foundation laid by the Open Intents Framework, the team’s ambition is to achieve seamless, trust-minimized cross-Layer 2 interactions. As the Ethereum ecosystem increasingly decentralizes across multiple L2s, the ability for users and applications to move assets and communicate between these networks effortlessly becomes paramount. Continued progress on achieving faster Layer 1 confirmations and shortening Layer 2 settlement times directly supports this goal, reducing the friction and latency inherent in cross-chain operations. The aim is to create a truly unified user experience, abstracting away the underlying complexity of distinct L2s.
"User experience is not just about aesthetics; it’s about fundamental accessibility and security," stated a core contributor. "Native account abstraction will revolutionize how users interact with Ethereum, making it safer and more powerful. Coupled with robust interoperability, we’re building a network that truly works for everyone, everywhere."
Harden the L1: Ensuring Ethereum’s Core Properties
A brand-new track for 2026, "Harden the L1," reflects a dedicated focus on safeguarding the foundational properties that make Ethereum valuable: its security, decentralization, and censorship resistance. Led by Fredrik Svantes, Parithosh Jayanthi, and Thomas Thiery, this initiative acknowledges that as Ethereum scales and evolves, proactive measures are essential to ensure these core tenets are not compromised.
This track encompasses several critical areas:
- Protocol Resilience: This involves continuous stress-testing of the network, identifying potential attack vectors, and implementing improvements to enhance its robustness against various threats, including denial-of-service attacks and novel forms of spam.
- Decentralization Maintenance: As the network grows, ensuring that node operation remains accessible and diverse is crucial. This includes exploring ways to mitigate client centralization risks, promoting client diversity, and optimizing resource requirements for running nodes.
- Censorship Resistance: Protecting Ethereum’s ability to process transactions without interference is a paramount concern. This involves ongoing research into mechanisms like enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS) to minimize the power of block builders to censor transactions or extract undue value.
- State Growth Management: While history expiry was a significant step, managing the ever-growing state of the blockchain remains an ongoing challenge. This track will explore further optimizations and potential future EIPs to keep the state manageable for node operators, preventing centralization due to excessive hardware requirements.
- Security Audits and Research: Proactive security audits, formal verification efforts, and cutting-edge cryptographic research will be continuous priorities to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This also includes preparing the protocol for potential future cryptographic threats, such as quantum computing.
"The ‘Harden the L1’ track is a commitment to the very soul of Ethereum," explained a lead protocol engineer. "As we innovate and scale, we must simultaneously reinforce the core principles of security, decentralization, and censorship resistance. This isn’t just about functionality; it’s about preserving the integrity of a global, permissionless computing platform."
Looking Ahead: Glamsterdam and Hegotá on the Horizon
The ambitious vision for 2026 is already taking shape with two major network upgrades on the roadmap. Glamsterdam, targeted for the first half of 2026, is poised to introduce parallel execution, a transformative feature that would allow multiple transactions to be processed simultaneously, dramatically increasing L1 throughput. This upgrade is also expected to include significantly higher gas limits, further advancing the network’s scaling capabilities.
Following Glamsterdam, Hegotá is planned for later in the year, with an equally ambitious scope. This upgrade is anticipated to bring enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS) to fruition, a critical step in decentralizing block production and mitigating potential censorship and maximal extractable value (MEV) concerns. Hegotá will also feature continued blob scaling efforts and further progress on native account abstraction and post-quantum security measures.
The clear ambition behind these upcoming upgrades underscores a relentless drive for innovation. From fundamental throughput enhancements and robust security measures to intuitive user experiences and future-proof cryptography, Ethereum’s development trajectory remains focused on delivering a global, scalable, and decentralized computing platform. The community is encouraged to follow track-level updates, with protocol.ethereum.foundation serving as the primary hub for information and engagement. As the core developers aptly put it, the commitment is simple: "Let’s keep shipping."
