Checkpoint #9: April 2026 | Ethereum Foundation Blog

admin9 hours ago

Ethereum’s All Core Developer call can be difficult to keep up with, so this “Checkpoint” series aims for periodic high-level updates based on what’s happening in core development. Check out previous updates here.

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tl;dr

Progress in Glamsterdam is slow but steady. Implementing Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS) has proven to be more challenging than expected, and non-key features such as gas price adjustments have their own complexities to address.

The next upgrade, Hegotá, has now picked up FOCIL as its main feature, promising to work on account abstraction as part of its minor feature set. Non-headlining EIP proposals can be submitted starting April 9.

Glamsterdam

The implementation of Ethereum’s next upgrade, Glamsterdam, is well underway. A full list and summary of considered and planned features can be found on Forkcast. Scheduled features (“SFI”) will almost certainly be included in the upgrade when they are released. The features under consideration (“CFI”) are very likely to be included, but inclusion will depend on the complexity of the implementation and the progress and compatibility of previously implemented reserved features. The definitions for these steps could be improved to better describe the process!

Glamsterdam’s specific feature set includes several gas price adjustments that are primarily prioritized in bundles. Ecosystem developers have also spoken constructively about the importance of EIP-7954, an increase in the maximum contract size, and it is likely that this will become a priority as a result.

The main obstacle to Glamsterdam progress is ePBS. ePBS splits block creation between two parties operating sequentially inside the consensus instead of the way it currently occurs outside the protocol, so the protocol now has to handle any inconsistencies or failures between them. Every part of the stack must reason about “partial blocks” – changes that affect practically everything – and both parties coordinate.

In terms of the execution layer, Block-Level Access Lists (BALs) are a fundamental rethink of how gas and state access works, and the BAL devnet is making predictable progress through these anticipated difficult problems.

Developers are targeting the first generalized Glamsterdam devnet next week, if the current ePBS devnet can stabilize. We will then iterate over several devnets that increasingly include non-headline features. Once we have a stable devnet with all the features to be included, we will stop releasing clients, perform a final security review, move to testnet, and once stability is confirmed, we will finally announce a mainnet fork date.

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she is crazy

Hegotá is the subsequent upgrade of Glamsterdam. The selection process for key features has been completed and FOCIL (EIP-7805) has been selected as the consensus layer headliner. At the execution layer, there was heated debate over the account abstraction proposal, but the lack of consensus on specific implementation choices led to the proposal (EIP-8141: Frame Transactions) being moved to Non-Headline Consideration for Included (CFI) status. This is a placeholder promise to work on an account abstraction proposal that, along with community engagement, will gain broader support among client developers.

There is growing interest in the priorities of quantum resistance, but so far no stand-alone proposals have been introduced. Only an account abstraction proposal was introduced that included quantum resistance as part of a broader package.

Starting April 9, anyone can suggest non-headlining features for Hegotá by dragging their EIP into the Suggest for Inclusion section of the folk meta EIP. Deadlines for this will be announced at least two weeks in advance. You can always stay up to date on the Hegotá process and timeline on the Hegotá Folkcast page.

The date of this upgrade will largely depend on Glamsterdam’s progress over the coming months.

gas limit

Gas limit increases are continuously being tested on the devnet with the goal of enabling higher limits in Glamsterdam and beyond. The current target for the default gas limit is 60M, but testing is underway at much higher limits to understand the implications and optimizations needed to achieve higher limits. Most of the price adjustments currently being implemented in Glamsterdam will safely allow for higher limits.

EIP Champion Handbook

A new resource has been published on the Protocol Support Team website to help authors and advocates defend feature proposals and seek stakeholder feedback. If you are interested in applying your capabilities to the Ethereum upgrade, check out the EIP Champions Handbook to explore the process.

The rapid pace following Fusaka’s Pectra created excitement for a faster Ethereum fork, but Glamsterdam has proven to be trickier and slower-paced than expected. The feature change is by no means trivial, but client developers don’t seem particularly discouraged by this issue. Glamsterdam in the second quarter seems unlikely, but the single headliner chosen for Hegotá means he could follow Glamsterdam in a shorter period of time than he follows Fusaka, depending on how the non-headliner process goes. It is still possible for client developers to focus on their account abstraction proposition and promote it as a headliner, recognizing its importance to the community.

Although not an “official Ethereum roadmap,” Stramap released this year has reignited enthusiasm for creating guidelines that can help inform feature choices during the upgrade process, and so far it seems to be a beneficial tool to help the community agree on priorities.