The ongoing "Checkpoint" series, designed to provide high-level updates from Ethereum’s All Core Developer (ACD) calls, reveals a landscape of steady but challenging progress for the network’s upcoming protocol upgrades. Following the swift implementation of previous forks like Fusaka and Pectra, the next planned hard fork, Glamsterdam, is proving to be more intricate than initially anticipated, particularly concerning the integration of enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS). Concurrently, the subsequent upgrade, Hegotá, has solidified its primary feature, FOCIL, while committing to the long-desired implementation of Account Abstraction, albeit as part of its minor feature set. These developments underscore Ethereum’s commitment to continuous innovation, balancing ambitious technical enhancements with the practicalities of decentralized, open-source development.
Ethereum’s Iterative Evolution: A Development Overview
Ethereum’s development paradigm is characterized by a series of planned network upgrades, commonly known as hard forks, which introduce new functionalities, optimize existing mechanisms, and enhance the protocol’s security and scalability. These upgrades are the culmination of extensive research, community discussion, and rigorous testing, orchestrated through regular All Core Developer (ACD) calls. These calls bring together client teams, researchers, and prominent community members to debate, refine, and ultimately decide on the inclusion of Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) into future network upgrades. The process is iterative, with EIPs moving through various stages, from "Draft" to "Final," and eventually being "Scheduled for Inclusion" (SFI) or "Considered for Inclusion" (CFI) in a specific fork. The recent rapid succession of upgrades, including The Merge (transition to Proof-of-Stake), Shanghai (enabling staked ETH withdrawals), and Dencun (introducing proto-danksharding for Layer 2 scalability), set a high bar for development pace. However, the current focus on Glamsterdam highlights the increasing complexity of foundational protocol changes.
Glamsterdam: Navigating Complexities for a Stronger Core
Glamsterdam, the immediate successor to the Dencun upgrade, is currently in a critical implementation phase. The full spectrum of features under consideration and those already scheduled for inclusion can be tracked on platforms like Forkcast. Features designated as "Scheduled for Inclusion" (SFI) are considered highly probable for the final release, while "Considered for Inclusion" (CFI) features face a higher dependency on implementation complexity and compatibility with SFI features. It is noteworthy that the definitions and nuances of these stages are themselves subject to ongoing refinement, reflecting the dynamic nature of the EIP process.
The centerpiece of Glamsterdam is Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS), a monumental shift in how blocks are produced and ordered on the Ethereum blockchain. Currently, block production often involves external, off-protocol mechanisms for Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) extraction, where searchers and builders bid for the right to order transactions within a block. ePBS aims to bring this crucial function on-chain, separating the role of the "proposer" (the validator chosen to propose a block) from the "builder" (who constructs the block content). This separation is intended to mitigate MEV-related centralization risks, improve network decentralization, and ensure greater fairness in transaction ordering. However, implementing ePBS is proving to be a formidable technical challenge. It requires every component of the Ethereum stack – from the consensus layer to the execution layer clients – to fundamentally rethink how "partial blocks" are handled and how two-party coordination (between proposer and builder) is managed within the protocol. This architectural overhaul touches virtually every aspect of block processing, leading to expected delays and extensive testing requirements.
Beyond ePBS, Glamsterdam is also slated to include several crucial enhancements. Gas repricings are a significant component, aiming to recalibrate the cost of various EVM operations. These repricings are largely being prioritized as a bundle, with the overarching goal of optimizing resource utilization and potentially enabling higher transaction throughput. Simultaneously, the community has expressed strong support for EIP-7954, which proposes an increase to the maximum contract size. This enhancement is vital for developers, allowing for more complex smart contracts and dApps without hitting arbitrary size limitations, thus fostering greater innovation on the platform. The "constructively vocal" stance of ecosystem developers on this EIP highlights the community-driven aspect of Ethereum’s roadmap.
On the execution layer side, Block-level Access Lists (BALs) (EIP-7928) represent another fundamental rethinking, specifically concerning how gas and state access are managed. BALs aim to provide a more efficient and predictable way for transactions to declare which parts of the state they intend to access, potentially leading to better block processing and reduced execution costs. Development efforts for BALs are progressing through dedicated devnets, addressing the inherent difficulties associated with such a foundational change.
The immediate next steps for Glamsterdam involve stabilizing the current ePBS devnet, with developers aiming for the launch of the first generalized Glamsterdam devnet in the near future. 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 releases will be cut, followed by final security reviews and deployment to public testnets. Only after these testnets demonstrate stability will the mainnet fork date be officially announced, underscoring the meticulous and security-first approach to Ethereum upgrades.
Hegotá: Charting the Path Ahead with FOCIL and Account Abstraction
Looking beyond Glamsterdam, the Hegotá upgrade is already taking shape. The selection process for its major feature has concluded, with FOCIL (EIP-7805) emerging as the chosen consensus layer headliner. FOCIL, which stands for "Fork Choice Integrity Layer," is a critical proposal aimed at enhancing the security and robustness of Ethereum’s consensus mechanism. It introduces a new layer of integrity checks within the fork choice rule, making the protocol more resilient to certain types of attacks and ensuring better alignment between validator incentives and network security. While the technical specifics are complex, its inclusion signals a continued focus on strengthening the foundational security of the Proof-of-Stake chain.
A significant point of discussion for Hegotá on the execution layer side revolved around Account Abstraction (AA). This highly anticipated feature aims to revolutionize the user experience on Ethereum by allowing smart contracts to act as user accounts, enabling features like multi-signature wallets, social recovery, and custom authentication logic natively within the protocol. While a specific proposal, EIP-8141 ("Frame transactions"), was intensely debated, a lack of immediate consensus on its precise implementation details led to its reclassification to "Considered for Inclusion" (CFI) as a non-headliner feature. This decision, however, comes with a firm commitment from core developers to actively work on an Account Abstraction proposal that can garner broader support among client developers and the wider community. The move signifies the profound importance of AA for Ethereum’s mass adoption strategy, indicating that while the specific path is still being ironed out, the destination remains a top priority.
Another area of increasing interest, particularly in the context of long-term network security, is quantum resistance. As quantum computing advances, the cryptographic primitives currently securing blockchain networks could become vulnerable. While no standalone quantum resistance proposal has yet been formally introduced for Hegotá, there is growing momentum to prioritize its inclusion, often as part of broader packages like Account Abstraction that might incorporate quantum-resistant signatures.
The window for submitting non-headlining features for Hegotá commenced on April 9th, allowing anyone to propose an EIP by pulling it into the "Proposed for Inclusion" section of the fork’s meta EIP. The closing date for these submissions will be announced at least two weeks in advance, providing ample time for community participation. Detailed information on the Hegotá process and timeline is consistently updated on its dedicated Forkcast page, ensuring transparency in the development roadmap. The eventual release date for Hegotá remains highly dependent on the progress and successful deployment of Glamsterdam, highlighting the interconnected nature of these sequential upgrades.
Enhancing Network Efficiency: Gas Limits and Repricing
A continuous effort within Ethereum’s development is the optimization of network capacity, primarily through adjustments to the gas limit. Gas represents the computational effort required to execute operations on the Ethereum network, and the gas limit dictates the maximum amount of computation that can be included in a single block. Higher gas limits allow for more transactions and complex operations per block, but must be balanced against potential increases in network load and state growth.
Developers are actively testing gas limit increases on devnets, with a current baseline target of 60 million gas for Glamsterdam and subsequent upgrades. However, testing extends to significantly higher limits to thoroughly understand the implications for network performance, client synchronization, and the necessary optimizations required to safely achieve these higher capacities. Much of the gas repricing work being implemented in Glamsterdam is foundational to enabling these safely higher limits, as it ensures that the cost of operations accurately reflects their resource consumption, preventing network abuse or inefficiencies at increased block sizes.
Community Engagement and Future Directions
To further democratize the development process and empower community members, the Protocol Support team has published a new resource: the EIP Champions Handbook. This guide is designed to assist authors and advocates in championing feature proposals, navigating the complex EIP lifecycle, and effectively soliciting stakeholder feedback. For anyone aspiring to contribute a feature to an Ethereum upgrade, the handbook provides an invaluable roadmap through the intricate process, fostering a more inclusive and robust development ecosystem.
In a broader strategic context, the publication of the "strawmap" this year has reinvigorated discussions about Ethereum’s long-term vision. While not an "official Ethereum roadmap" in the centralized sense, this community-driven guideline has proven to be a beneficial tool for informing feature choices during the upgrade process and helping the community align on development priorities. It serves as a living document, reflecting collective aspirations and guiding the decentralized efforts of core developers and researchers.
Analysis and Outlook
The current state of Ethereum’s core development reflects a mature, yet dynamic, ecosystem. While the initial excitement following the rapid succession of previous upgrades led to hopes for an equally swift Glamsterdam, the inherent complexities of enshrined PBS and fundamental changes to gas and state access have introduced a more measured pace. This deliberate approach, however, is not indicative of disheartenment among client developers; rather, it underscores a commitment to thoroughness and security, paramount in a decentralized network handling billions in value.
The challenges with Glamsterdam suggest that a Q2 launch may be unlikely, pushing the timeline further into the year. However, the decision to select a single headliner (FOCIL) for Hegotá, coupled with the firm commitment to Account Abstraction, means that the subsequent upgrade could follow Glamsterdam in a comparatively shorter timeframe, provided the non-headliner EIP process is efficient and a consensus on AA implementation is reached. The possibility of Account Abstraction being promoted to a headliner feature in Hegotá remains, given its importance to the community and its potential to unlock significant user adoption.
The ongoing work on gas limit increases and repricings, alongside the foundational shifts like ePBS and BALs, points to a future Ethereum that is more efficient, scalable, and resilient. The emphasis on community tools like the EIP Champions Handbook and the guiding influence of the "strawmap" illustrate a healthy and engaged developer community, continuously striving to evolve Ethereum into a more robust and user-friendly global settlement layer. The path forward, while challenging, is marked by clear objectives and a collective determination to realize Ethereum’s full potential.
Relevant ACD Calls (January 21st – April 9th):
- ACDT (All Core Devs – Testing): 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
