- Ethereum developers are planning two major upgrades: Glamsterdam (targeted for 2026) and Hegota (date TBD).
- Glamsterdam will add block-level access lists and enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) to speed validation and lower fees.
- Hegota may include fork-choice inclusion lists (FOCIL), a debated anti-censorship measure that would let validators force inclusion of transactions.
- Debate continues over FOCIL’s legal and operational risks; developers will begin formal feature selection in early January.
Who, what, when, where, why: Ethereum developers are moving from the recently completed Fusaka work toward two future upgrades: Glamsterdam, expected in 2026, and Hegota, with no set date. The upgrades aim to improve mainnet throughput, reduce fees for many transactions, and address censorship risks on the chain.
Glamsterdam features: The upgrade’s two headline items are block-level access lists and enshrined proposer-builder separation. Block-level access lists let nodes process some transactions in parallel, which speeds block validation and can make fees more predictable. (Definition: Block-level access lists — lists that identify contract storage and calls so parts of a block can be processed in parallel.) Enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) separates who proposes blocks from who builds them; proponents say it can lower costs and increase throughput and could increase the cost of censorship, according to Potuz.
Hegota and FOCIL: A stronger anti-censorship proposal, fork-choice inclusion lists (FOCIL), has been moved toward Hegota. “In an effort to shield the Ethereum validator set from centralising forces, the right to build blocks has been auctioned off to specialised entities known as builders,” FOCIL’s authors explained. (Definition: FOCIL — a mechanism that would let validators require builders to include specified valid transactions.)
Debate and risks: Critics, including Ameen Soleimani, argue FOCIL’s benefits are overstated and that forcing inclusion could create legal risks for U.S.-based validators; he argued this point. Supporters like Tim Clancy called FOCIL the “single most important [proposal] for Ethereum.” He wrote this earlier in the year.
Next steps: Developers will begin formal debate over Hegota features on January 8, with headline items likely finalized by the end of February, per the timeline.
This week in governance: Aave DAO votes on renewal of delegate incentive program; Rocket Pool votes on membership slate; World Liberty Financial votes to use treasury for USD1 growth.
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