EF outlined three key priorities: expanding the network and L2 solutions, enhancing the user experience, and bolstering blockchain security. The plan involves measures such as raising the gas limit to 100 million and beyond, accelerating transactions via ePBS, actively implementing ZK technologies, and developing contracts for more efficient data storage.
The major update of 2026 will be Glamsterdam, scheduled for the first half of the year, followed by Hegota in the second half. The team aims to speed up transactions, further scale L2 platforms, improve resistance to censorship, and prepare for post-quantum security. Particular emphasis will be placed on new addresses and protection against quantum threats.
EF also highlighted the achievements of 2025: two significant upgrades — Pectra (May) and Fusaka (December). Fusaka was notable for a significant reduction in fees and an uptick in user activity: transactions became quicker and cheaper, and daily active addresses hit a record high.
Amidst EF’s heightened activity in early 2026, Vitalik Buterin expressed criticism of investments in L2 and called for greater ambition in terms of privacy and decentralization, stating that developers would not make compromises for the sake of mass adoption. Recent data shows that the ETH exchange rate is fluctuating: following the updates, the price has dropped by approximately 60% compared to the peak in August 2025.