The Ethereum Foundation (EF) Protocol cluster has officially unveiled its comprehensive tier list for the upcoming network upgrade, codenamed Hegoté, marking a significant shift in how Ethereum’s technical roadmap is curated. For the first time, the collective research and engineering teams—comprising approximately 60 experts—have abandoned the tradition of publishing fragmented, team-specific opinions in favor of a singular, unified evaluation of 62 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). While execution-layer (EL) clients, such as Geth, will retain the autonomy to publish their own independent assessments, the EF’s centralized document now serves as the definitive baseline for community, developer, and stakeholder expectations regarding the future of the network.
This alignment of vision follows months of rigorous internal debate and process refinement. The evaluation criteria, rooted in the principles outlined in the companion document, "EF Protocol: Current and Emerging Priorities," aim to streamline the complex development lifecycle of Ethereum. By assigning specific grades to each proposal, the cluster is effectively telegraphing its development bandwidth and technical priorities for the coming cycle.
The Methodology of Consensus
The process of arriving at these tiers was both exhaustive and collaborative. To ensure the highest degree of technical accuracy, nine distinct teams and a cadre of individual domain experts participated in a structured review. In total, 16 individual contribution templates were submitted, resulting in 397 distinct tier grades across 62 proposals. This averages to approximately 6.4 grades per EIP, with highly contentious or complex topics attracting as many as nine independent assessments.
The scoring system utilized a standard hierarchy: S-tier (4 points) representing mandatory, high-priority inclusions; A-tier (3 points) for expected inclusions; B-tier (2 points) for proposals requiring specific conditions to move forward; and C/D/DFI tiers (1-0 points) for those deemed lower priority or declined. Notably, the final grades published were not simple mathematical averages; they represent "steelman" arguments—positions that were debated during a 90-minute working session where experts could move proposals up or down based on technical cross-examination.
This structured approach draws heavily on lessons learned from the previous "Glamsterdam" upgrade. Retrospectives from that period highlighted critical operational bottlenecks: the tendency of champions to underestimate the integration complexity of their proposals, the scarcity of testing surfaces, and the reality that complexity tends to compound exponentially when multiple features are bundled together.
Consensus Layer: Prioritizing Resilience
The Consensus Layer (CL) evaluations reveal a strong focus on security and user-centric inclusion. EIP-7805, known as FOCIL (Fork-Choice-based Inclusion Lists), has been locked in as a headline S-tier proposal. FOCIL is designed to provide users with a path to include eligible transactions without relying on centralized builders, effectively decentralizing the transaction inclusion process. The cluster emphasized that this should be shipped in tandem with EIP-8369, which defines the profiles for FOCIL eligibility, extending these guarantees to Layer 2 frames.
Other notable inclusions in the A-tier for the consensus layer include EIP-8015, which aims to remove obsolete deposit and eth1data fields, and EIP-8365, which addresses BLS withdrawal credential retirement—a crucial step in maintaining the network’s long-term cryptographic integrity.
Conversely, proposals that failed to gain traction were often those that deepened dependencies on legacy structures or lacked clear necessity. For example, EIP-8142 (Block-in-Blobs) was met with unanimous rejection due to its deepening dependence on KZG structures, which the cluster views as an obstacle to the network’s long-term evolution toward "J*" (the next phase of consensus design).
Execution Layer: Driving Account Abstraction
On the Execution Layer (EL), the focus is decisively on modernizing the EVM and enhancing user experience through account abstraction. EIP-8141, the proposal for "Frame Transactions," stands out as the S-tier headliner. By enabling native account abstraction, this EIP provides a pathway to Post-Quantum (PQ) signature schemes and facilitates a transition away from the aging k1 key infrastructure. This feature is slated to ship alongside EIP-8250 (Keyed Nonces) and EIP-8272 (Recent Roots), creating a cohesive suite of upgrades that will fundamentally change how users interact with Ethereum.
The inclusion of EIP-3298, which mandates the removal of specific refund mechanisms, demonstrates the cluster’s commitment to cleaning up technical debt. This proposal targets a class of metering edge cases that have historically complicated the EVM and drained testing resources. Similarly, EIP-5920, which introduces the PAY opcode, was selected for its high leverage-to-surface-area ratio, allowing for value transfers without the security risks associated with invoking arbitrary recipient code.
The "B" and "C" Tiers: The Bubble and Beyond
The B-tier contains proposals that are technically sound but currently hindered by sequencing or specification gaps. EIP-8198 (Quick Slots), for instance, saw a divergence in support: while R&D teams favored its implementation, engineering teams expressed caution, noting that it would trigger a massive retuning cascade. The cluster has laid out four specific requirements for this proposal to graduate to A-tier: comprehensive specifications, a functional prototype, an in-depth downstream impact assessment, and definitive sign-off on its compatibility with decoupled consensus models.
The C-tier proposals, such as EIP-8371 (RowDAS) and EIP-7668 (Remove Bloom Filters), are relegated to lower priority, often because they are seen as "priority, not principle" changes. These proposals are not necessarily flawed, but they are viewed as secondary to the core mission of Hegoté, and their inclusion depends on available development capacity after the higher-tier features are secured.
Implications and Future Outlook
The release of this tier list signals a more disciplined and predictable approach to Ethereum development. By clearly defining what will be included, what is on the "bubble," and what has been rejected, the EF Protocol cluster is reducing uncertainty for external developers and client teams.
The rationale for rejecting certain proposals—such as EIP-7716 (Anti-Correlation Attestation Penalties)—is particularly telling. While acknowledging the potential merits of increasing penalties for correlated missed attestations, the cluster determined that the proposal required more research into its effects on staker centralization and multi-client setups. This reflects a shift toward a more conservative, evidence-based upgrade path, prioritizing network stability over the rapid deployment of experimental features.
The broader implications of this roadmap are profound. As Ethereum continues to mature, the protocol is moving away from the era of "monolithic" upgrades and toward a model where features are categorized by their systemic impact. The heavy focus on account abstraction and decentralization (via FOCIL) suggests that the next phase of Ethereum’s development will be defined by user-level improvements and the hardening of the protocol against future cryptographic threats.
Community Engagement
Recognizing that these decisions have significant downstream effects, the EF is proactively seeking feedback. The cluster has scheduled a Reddit AMA for September 16, 2026, where the community will have the opportunity to challenge the rankings. This move toward transparency is intended to foster a healthier relationship between the core development teams and the broader ecosystem of stakeholders, developers, and validators.
Ultimately, the Hegoté tier list is a document of trade-offs. The EF Protocol cluster has made it clear that success in this upgrade cycle will be measured as much by the EIPs that were declined as by those that were accepted. By setting a high bar for inclusion and requiring rigorous justification for every addition, the Ethereum Foundation is positioning the network to navigate its next phase of growth with a cleaner codebase, a more robust consensus mechanism, and a clearer sense of direction. As the industry moves toward the deployment phase, all eyes will be on whether the development teams can maintain this momentum while adhering to the strict technical standards laid out in this unified roadmap.
