The Ethereum Foundation (EF) Protocol cluster has officially released its comprehensive tier list for the upcoming Hegoté upgrade, marking a significant shift in how the network evaluates potential technical improvements. For the first time, the cluster—comprising approximately 60 researchers and engineers—has published a singular, unified perspective on the 62 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) currently under consideration for the network’s next major milestone. While individual execution layer clients like Geth are expected to maintain their own independent assessments, this consolidated list serves as a foundational roadmap for the broader ecosystem, signaling the core development team’s priorities and long-term technical direction.
This collaborative effort represents a departure from previous upgrade cycles, where siloed team opinions often dominated the discourse. By aggregating 397 individual grades across 62 distinct proposals, the EF Protocol cluster has sought to provide clarity on what is essential for the network’s security, scalability, and decentralization. The resulting document, which draws heavily from the lessons of the previous Glamsterdam upgrade, emphasizes that integration depth and testing surface are the primary constraints when determining whether an EIP earns a place in the next fork.
The Methodology Behind the Scoring
The process of reaching this consensus was both rigorous and data-driven. Over several months, nine distinct teams and a cadre of individual domain experts completed detailed contribution templates for every proposed change. The scoring system utilized a standard hierarchy: S-tier (4 points), A-tier (3), B-tier (2), C-tier (1), and D/DFI (0). Abstentions were excluded from the final averages to ensure that the results reflected only the informed input of those with specific expertise in the relevant sub-domains.
Crucially, the final published tiers are not merely mathematical averages but the result of a "steelman" process. During a 90-minute intensive working session, the teams debated the most contested proposals, challenging the initial scores and adjusting them based on technical feasibility and the broader strategic vision outlined in the companion publication, EF Protocol: Current and Emerging Priorities. The goal was to reach a consensus on delivery expectations, effectively creating a commitment ladder for the developers responsible for the eventual implementation.
Key Highlights: The Headliners and Future-Proofing
Among the 62 evaluated proposals, two stand out as "must-ship" headliners, signaling their critical role in the Hegoté upgrade. The first is EIP-7805, which introduces FOCIL (Fork-Choice-enforced Inclusion Lists). FOCIL is designed to provide any user with a reliable path to transaction inclusion, fundamentally reducing the reliance on centralized builders. Its unanimous S-tier rating reflects the community’s broad agreement that transaction censorship resistance is a top priority for the next phase of Ethereum’s development.
The second headliner is EIP-8141, focusing on Frame Transactions. This proposal is viewed as the definitive path toward native account abstraction. By creating a structure that accommodates future post-quantum (PQ) signature schemes and enabling transaction aggregation, EIP-8141 aims to retire legacy k1 keys and modernize the network’s authentication layer. These two proposals, alongside EIP-8369, which defines the eligibility criteria for FOCIL, form the backbone of the Hegoté upgrade.
Consensus Layer Adjustments and Staking Features
The consensus layer proposals have been heavily scrutinized to ensure they do not introduce unnecessary complexity. EIP-8365, which addresses BLS withdrawal credential retirement, was categorized as A-tier, highlighting its importance in managing technical debt and preparing for post-quantum security requirements. Conversely, several proposals related to staking, such as EIP-7716 (Anti-Correlation Attestation Penalties), were marked as "Deferred for Inclusion" (DFI).
The decision to defer EIP-7716 illustrates the cautious approach the EF is taking regarding the current validator landscape. While the proposal aims to reduce centralization forces by increasing penalties for correlated missed attestations, the cluster determined that further research is needed to understand the impact on multi-client setups and validator behavior. This emphasis on "keeping CL scope light" suggests a desire to avoid overly aggressive changes that could destabilize the network during a period of significant architectural transition.
Execution Layer and EVM Evolution
On the execution layer, the focus remains on cleanup and security. EIP-3298, which proposes the removal of specific refund mechanisms, was awarded an A-tier grade for its ability to eliminate an entire class of metering edge cases that have historically plagued network stability. Similarly, EIP-5920, the PAY opcode, is expected to be included as a high-leverage, low-surface-area feature that resolves long-standing issues regarding value transfers that do not trigger recipient code.
The cluster also took a firm stance on several deprecation and cleanup proposals. EIP-4758, which deactivates the SELFDESTRUCT opcode, has been included in the A-tier, as the developers maintain that it is a persistent testing hazard that must be removed to simplify future protocol upgrades. This aligns with a broader trend of "EVMification," where the goal is to make the network’s core execution environment more predictable and easier to secure.
The "DFI" Block: Declining Complexity
One of the most revealing aspects of this report is the volume of proposals that were explicitly declined. A total of 28 proposals were moved to the DFI category. This is not necessarily a reflection of poor quality, but rather a reflection of the current priority set. For instance, EIP-8375 (ePBS Mandatory Burn of Execution Rewards) and EIP-8363 (Tapered Issuance Burn) were both declined for the upcoming fork. The rationale provided by the cluster is that monetary and issuance policies belong to a broader ecosystem-wide governance process rather than the technical scoping exercise of a protocol fork.
By setting these boundaries, the EF is protecting the network from "feature creep" and ensuring that the engineering teams can focus their limited bandwidth on the highest-impact upgrades. The unanimous rejection of proposals like EIP-7645 (Alias ORIGIN to SENDER), which would have broken backward compatibility for deployed smart contracts without providing significant security gains, further underscores this commitment to network stability and developer trust.
Broader Implications and Future Outlook
The publication of the Hegoté tier list is a significant development in Ethereum’s maturation as a decentralized protocol. By moving toward a more transparent and structured evaluation process, the Ethereum Foundation is inviting a higher degree of community scrutiny while maintaining the focus required to deliver complex upgrades.
The upcoming Reddit AMA on September 16, 2026, will serve as a critical venue for this interaction. The willingness of the protocol cluster to engage with champions of non-A-tier or declined proposals demonstrates a commitment to the "open research" philosophy that has defined Ethereum’s culture.
As the industry looks toward the next cycle of development, the Hegoté upgrade appears to be positioning Ethereum to handle the dual challenges of scaling and security with a disciplined, research-led approach. The emphasis on FOCIL and Frame Transactions suggests that the coming years will be defined by an effort to decentralize the transaction lifecycle and modernize account security. Whether these changes will be enough to satisfy the demands of an increasingly complex and high-volume ecosystem remains to be seen, but the clear, unified roadmap provided by the EF Protocol cluster provides the best possible foundation for that evolution.
In total, of the 62 proposals reviewed, 17 are expected to proceed, while the remainder have been either deferred, placed in a "To Be Determined" category pending further mainnet evidence, or declined. This rigorous pruning process serves as a reminder that in the world of decentralized consensus, the most important work is often knowing exactly what not to build. As the community moves toward the final implementation of Hegoté, the focus will remain on these core pillars: security, simplicity, and the long-term sustainability of the Ethereum network.
