Layla Zulfa
Ethereum’s core development landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with ongoing work on the upcoming "Glamsterdam" upgrade revealing intricate technical challenges, particularly concerning enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS). Concurrently, the subsequent "Hegotá" upgrade is beginning to take shape, having selected its primary consensus layer feature and committed to advancing Account Abstraction, reflecting the network’s long-term vision for enhanced user experience and security. These developments are regularly tracked through periodic "Checkpoint" updates, offering high-level insights into the intensive work undertaken by core developers across the global Ethereum ecosystem.
Glamsterdam Upgrade: Tackling Foundational Shifts
The implementation phase for Ethereum’s next major network upgrade, dubbed "Glamsterdam," is actively underway, albeit with a deliberate and methodical pace. The comprehensive list of features under consideration and those officially scheduled for inclusion can be monitored via the dedicated Forkcast platform. Features designated as "Scheduled for Inclusion" (SFI) are considered highly likely to be part of the final upgrade package, while those "Considered for Inclusion" (CFI) face a more rigorous evaluation, with their ultimate inclusion contingent on implementation complexity and compatibility with core scheduled features. These categorization definitions themselves are subject to ongoing refinement, underscoring the dynamic nature of the EIP (Ethereum Improvement Proposal) process.
A central pillar of the Glamsterdam upgrade is the introduction of several critical gas repricings. These adjustments are largely being prioritized as a cohesive bundle, aimed at optimizing transaction costs, enhancing network efficiency, and improving predictability for users and developers alike. Beyond these repricings, ecosystem developers have voiced strong support for EIP-7954, a proposal to increase the maximum contract size. This enhancement is crucial for enabling more complex smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps), pushing the boundaries of what can be built on Ethereum. The vocal advocacy from the development community has positioned EIP-7954 as a likely priority for inclusion.
However, the most significant and challenging component of the Glamsterdam upgrade lies in the implementation of enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS). This ambitious architectural shift aims to move the current, external block production separation (between block proposers and block builders) into the core consensus protocol itself. The motivation behind ePBS is profound: to mitigate the risks associated with Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) by decentralizing block production and reducing the power of individual entities. By requiring the protocol to mediate disagreements and failures between two distinct parties – the proposer and the builder – ePBS fundamentally reconfigures the consensus mechanism. This necessitates a complete rethinking across the entire Ethereum stack, as every component must now account for "partial blocks" and the complexities of two-party coordination. The technical intricacy of this change touches nearly every layer of the protocol, making its implementation a painstaking and time-consuming endeavor.
On the execution layer front, "Block-level Access Lists" (BALs), detailed under EIP-7928, represent another foundational change. BALs involve a fundamental re-evaluation of how gas is consumed and how state access is managed within the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This intricate rework is progressing through dedicated development networks (devnets), where engineers are systematically addressing the expectedly difficult problems inherent in such a significant protocol alteration. The methodical progress on BAL devnets is a testament to the comprehensive approach being taken to ensure the stability and security of these critical changes.
Developers are targeting the initiation of the first generalized Glamsterdam devnet in the near future, contingent upon the stabilization of the current ePBS-focused devnet. This will mark a pivotal step, allowing for the integration and testing of more non-headliner features. Following this, an iterative series of devnets will be launched, progressively incorporating additional features. Only once a stable devnet, encompassing all planned features, is achieved, will client releases be cut. This will then be followed by final security reviews, migration to public testnets, and, upon confirmation of their stability, the official announcement of the mainnet fork date. The current assessment suggests that a Glamsterdam launch in Q2 of the current year is increasingly improbable given the depth of the technical work involved, yet client developers remain undeterred by the scale of the challenge.
Hegotá: Shaping Ethereum’s Future Roadmap
Beyond Glamsterdam, the next major protocol upgrade, "Hegotá," is already solidifying its core features. The selection process for its primary feature has concluded, with "Fork Choice in Consensus Layer" (FOCIL), specified in EIP-7805, chosen as the consensus layer headliner. FOCIL aims to enhance the security and efficiency of Ethereum’s fork choice rule, which is fundamental to maintaining consensus and preventing malicious chain reorganizations. This crucial improvement underscores Ethereum’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its foundational layer.
On the execution layer side, a robust debate unfolded around proposals for Account Abstraction (AA). Account Abstraction is a highly anticipated feature designed to significantly improve user experience and flexibility by allowing smart contracts to act as user accounts, enabling custom signature schemes, multi-factor authentication, and gas payment by third parties. While there was strong community interest in an AA proposal, EIP-8141 ("Frame transactions") ultimately moved to "Considered for Inclusion" (CFI) status as a non-headliner. This decision stemmed from a lack of immediate consensus among client developers regarding specific implementation choices. Nevertheless, this outcome carries a crucial commitment: to continue working on an Account Abstraction proposal that can garner broader support from client developers, actively involving the wider community in its refinement. This signals that while the specific path to AA might be debated, its importance to the network’s future remains a high priority.
A burgeoning area of interest within the developer community is the prioritization of quantum resistance. As quantum computing capabilities advance, the cryptographic underpinnings of current blockchain technology could be threatened. While no standalone quantum resistance proposal has yet been formally introduced, several Account Abstraction proposals have begun to incorporate quantum resistance as part of a more comprehensive package. This integrated approach highlights the forward-thinking nature of Ethereum’s development, anticipating future security needs.
To foster broader community participation in Hegotá, the process for submitting non-headlining features officially opened on April 9th. Any interested party can propose an EIP by submitting it to the "Proposed for Inclusion" section of the upgrade’s meta EIP (EIP-8081). The deadline for these submissions will be announced at least two weeks in advance, ensuring ample time for community input. Up-to-date information regarding Hegotá’s development timeline and process is consistently available on its dedicated Forkcast page. The exact timing for Hegotá’s mainnet activation, however, remains intrinsically linked to the successful and stable rollout of Glamsterdam in the coming months.
Enhancing Network Capacity: The Gas Limit Evolution
A continuous focus for Ethereum developers is the optimization of network capacity, primarily through adjustments to the block gas limit. The gas limit dictates the maximum amount of computational work that can be included in a single block, directly influencing transaction throughput and average transaction fees. Regular testing is conducted on various devnets with the ambitious goal of safely enabling higher limits, not only in Glamsterdam but also in subsequent upgrades. The current target for the baseline gas limit stands at 60 million, a substantial increase designed to accommodate growing network demand.
Furthermore, testing extends to even higher limits to thoroughly understand the implications of increased block sizes and to identify necessary optimizations for achieving these elevated capacities without compromising network stability or decentralization. A significant portion of the gas repricing work currently being implemented as part of Glamsterdam is specifically designed to facilitate these safer, higher gas limits. By recalibrating the cost of various EVM operations, developers can fine-tune resource allocation, ensuring that the network can handle more transactions efficiently while maintaining security and performance. This proactive approach aims to scale Ethereum’s capacity in a controlled and sustainable manner.
Streamlining Development: The EIP Champion’s Handbook
To empower and guide individuals interested in contributing to Ethereum’s evolution, the Protocol Support team has published new resources, including the "EIP Champion’s Handbook." This comprehensive guide is designed to assist authors and advocates in effectively championing their feature proposals and soliciting crucial feedback from stakeholders across the ecosystem. The handbook demystifies the often-complex EIP process, outlining stages, requirements, and best practices for navigating the path from initial idea to potential inclusion in an Ethereum upgrade. By providing clear guidance, the handbook aims to democratize participation, fostering a more inclusive and efficient development pipeline for the network.
Strategic Vision: The Role of the Strawmap
While Ethereum’s development eschews a rigidly top-down "official roadmap" in favor of a more organic, community-driven approach, the "strawmap" published earlier this year has emerged as a significant guiding document. This unofficial, community-generated framework has reignited enthusiasm for having a shared, high-level vision that can help inform feature selections during the upgrade process. By offering a conceptual guideline for priorities and long-term goals, the strawmap acts as a beneficial tool for the community to coalesce around shared objectives, providing a sense of direction without stifling innovation or centralized control. This collaborative approach to defining the network’s future underscores Ethereum’s commitment to decentralized governance and community input.
Looking Ahead: Pace, Priorities, and Community Engagement
The rapid succession of previous upgrades, such as Fusaka and Pectra, generated considerable excitement about an accelerated pace of Ethereum forks. However, Glamsterdam’s implementation has proven to be more intricate and deliberate than initially anticipated. The fundamental nature of the changes, particularly ePBS, necessitates a meticulous approach, acknowledging the far-reaching implications across the protocol. Despite these complexities and the slower pace, client developers maintain a resilient and focused outlook, recognizing the critical importance of these foundational upgrades for Ethereum’s long-term health and scalability.
While Glamsterdam’s timeline is stretching, the selection of a single headliner for Hegotá, coupled with the commitment to Account Abstraction, suggests that the subsequent upgrade could potentially follow Glamsterdam in a shorter timeframe, provided the non-headliner feature selection and implementation process proceeds efficiently. There remains a tangible possibility that client developers could converge on a widely supported Account Abstraction proposal and elevate it to headliner status for Hegotá, given its recognized importance to the community and its potential to unlock a new era of user-friendly dApps.
Ethereum’s development trajectory continues to be a testament to its decentralized and community-driven nature. The ongoing All Core Developer calls (ACDT, ACDC, ACDE), which have convened regularly between January 21st and April 9th, serve as vital forums for technical discussion, decision-making, and coordination among the diverse client teams and researchers. These transparent and inclusive discussions are the bedrock of Ethereum’s evolution, ensuring that future upgrades are robust, secure, and align with the network’s overarching vision.
Relevant All Core Developer Calls: [January 21st – April 9th]
ACDT: 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67
ACDC: 176, 175, 174, 173
ACDE: 234, 233, 232, 231, 230, 229
