Ethereum core developers have stated that they plan to make two major network upgrades in 2026. They have been codenamed 'Glamsterdam' and 'Hegota'.
This decision means that the blockchain is now taking a step towards faster upgrades. The plan is to create a clear schedule with two upgrades each year, thereby strengthening Ethereum against competitors that handle more transactions.
Ethereum is switching to updates twice a year to meet fast competitors.
The plan aims for 'Glamsterdam' to be released in the first half of 2026, shortly after the latest 'Fusaka' hard fork.
According to developers, Glamsterdam will focus on better scalability and efficiency, for example through lower gas costs and 'Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation' (ePBS).
This technical upgrade will distinguish between block builders and block proposers in the protocol itself. This reduces censorship risks and makes the network even more decentralized.
Developers plan to finalize the entire list of features for Glamsterdam right after the Christmas holiday.
The second phase of the upgrade in 2026, 'Hegota', is scheduled for the second half of the year.
The name of the upgrade indicates its dual function, as it combines 'Bogota' for the execution layer with 'Heze' for the consensus layer.
Christine Kim, who was previously Vice President at Galaxy Digital and is now following the governance of the protocol, says that discussions about Hegota will begin at the All Core Developers call on January 8.
During these discussions, they decide which features will be the most important in the hard fork, and the plan should be finalized by the end of February.
Other planned updates
At the same time, the Ethereum Foundation is changing its long-term research to improve security.
Researcher George Kadianakis has confirmed that the network aims to achieve '128-bit provable security' before the end of 2026. This encryption is very important for financial applications at the institutional level.
"For zkEVMs, this is not just theory. A security issue there could be more serious than others. If someone manages to fake a proof, they can fake everything: create tokens from nothing, change state, or steal money. For an L1 zkEVM that secures hundreds of billions of USD, there are no margins for error," he says.
The foundation links this initiative to certain goals, such as achieving a 'soundcalc' integration in February and being in sync with the Glamsterdam hard fork in May.
At the same time, there is a desire to remove the technical barriers that currently limit Ethereum for mass use.
To succeed in this, developers are working on a strategy that makes it easier to get started, so that Ethereum becomes as simple as regular consumer apps.
