Ethereum developers are planning major protocol changes in 2026, combining scaling, security tightening, and UX improvements following last year’s network upgrades.
The organization is also restructuring its development efforts into three core tracks: scalability, user experience and Layer 1 security.
Three-track protocol revision
On Wednesday, the Foundation said Ethereum’s next phase will focus on expanding network capacity while ensuring long-term security and resilience. Increases in gas limits also remain a central objective, following an increase from 30 million to 60 million last year. Developers are now aiming for a step towards and beyond 100 million gas per block.
Post-quantum readiness was identified as a critical consideration in multiple areas of protocol development, amid the growing focus on cryptographic security as the capabilities of quantum computing expand. The Foundation said its protocol work in 2026 will be organized into three tracks: Scale, Improvement UX and Harden the L1.
The Scale track combines work previously split between layer 1 execution scaling and blob data availability. This path will monitor continued increases in gas limits, supported by customer benchmarking and block-level access lists, further increases in blob parameters following recent upgrades, and the delivery of scale components planned for the Glamsterdam network upgrade. It will also advance state efforts, including short-term repricing and the passing of history, and longer-term plans for statelessness and new data structures.
The ‘Improve UX’ journey will focus on protocol-level changes that aim to simplify the way users interact with Ethereum. The focus will also be on native account abstraction and interoperability. Building on EIP-7702, which allows remote accounts to temporarily run smart contract code, developers are working to make smart contract wallets the standard without relying on additional infrastructure or additional gas overhead.
According to the Foundation, this work also intersects with post-quantum readiness, as native account abstraction provides a path to move away from ECDSA-based authentication. Efforts to improve interoperability will continue through the Open Intents Framework, in addition to progress on faster Layer 1 confirmations and shorter Layer 2 settlement times.
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The ‘Harden the L1’ path introduces a dedicated focus on preserving Ethereum’s core properties as the network scales. This includes security initiatives such as post-quantum readiness and execution layer security, research into censorship resistance for transactions and blob data, and extensive testing infrastructure to support a faster upgrade cadence. The Foundation said work on devnets, testnets and client interoperability will continue to be critical as protocol changes become more common.
Looking ahead
Meanwhile, Glamsterdam is targeting the first half of 2026, according to the update shared by the Ethereum Foundation. In addition, the Hegotá upgrade is scheduled for later this year.
These upgrades are expected to include higher gas limits, continuous blob scaling, an entrenched separation between proposer and builder, and further advances in native account abstraction, censorship resistance, and post-quantum security.
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