The intricate world of Ethereum core development, a realm where technical innovation meets decentralized consensus, often presents a complex tapestry of progress, challenges, and future aspirations. For those tracking the evolution of the world’s leading smart contract platform, keeping abreast of the frequent All Core Developer calls can be a demanding task. To demystify this process, this series, titled "Checkpoint," aims to provide periodic, high-level updates on the state of core development, offering clarity on what’s happening behind the scenes. This installment delves into the current status of upcoming network upgrades, focusing on the ongoing efforts for "Glamsterdam" and the emerging plans for its successor, "Hegotã."
Glamsterdam: Steady Progress Amidst Implementation Hurdles
The roadmap for Ethereum’s next significant network upgrade, codenamed Glamsterdam, is progressing, albeit at a pace that acknowledges the inherent complexities of its ambitious feature set. While the upgrade’s overall trajectory is firm, certain core components are proving more intricate to integrate than initially anticipated.
A primary focus of Glamsterdam is the implementation of enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS). This groundbreaking feature aims to fundamentally alter how blocks are produced on the Ethereum network. Currently, block proposers and builders operate largely outside the protocol’s direct consensus, leading to a dynamic where specialized builders create blocks and proposers select the most profitable ones. ePBS, however, seeks to bring this separation within the consensus layer. This shift necessitates significant architectural changes, requiring every part of the Ethereum stack to account for potential disagreements or failures between the proposer and the builder. The concept of "partial blocks" and the coordination between these two distinct entities are now central concerns for the protocol.
From an execution layer perspective, Block-level Access Lists (BALs), as outlined in EIP-7928, represent a fundamental re-evaluation of how gas and state access are managed. BALs aim to provide more granular control over transaction execution, potentially leading to more efficient gas usage and improved state management. The development of BALs is reportedly making predictable progress through their associated devnets, tackling the expected challenges inherent in such a foundational change.
Beyond the headline features, Glamsterdam encompasses a range of other enhancements. Several gas repricing initiatives, collectively bundled as per EIP-8007, are being prioritized. These adjustments are crucial for optimizing network performance and ensuring scalability. Additionally, there is significant community interest in EIP-7954, which proposes an increase to the maximum contract size. Given its potential to unlock new use cases and improve developer experience, EIP-7954 is likely to be incorporated into the upgrade.
The current development phase for Glamsterdam is characterized by iterative testing on devnets. Developers are actively working towards the deployment of the first generalized Glamsterdam devnet, a milestone that is contingent on the stabilization of the ongoing ePBS devnet. Following this, the plan is to iterate through several devnets, progressively incorporating more of the non-headliner features. Once a stable devnet encompassing all planned features is established, the process will move towards client releases, rigorous security reviews, deployment on testnets, and finally, the announcement of the mainnet fork date.
Timeline and Key Milestones for Glamsterdam:
- Current Stage: Active development and testing on specialized devnets for core features like ePBS and BALs.
- Near-Term Goal: Deployment of the first generalized Glamsterdam devnet.
- Mid-Term Goal: Iterative integration of all non-headliner features into stable devnets.
- Pre-Mainnet: Client releases, comprehensive security audits, and extensive testing on public testnets.
- Final Step: Announcement of the mainnet fork date.
The complexity of ePBS, in particular, has been identified as a significant factor influencing the pace of Glamsterdam’s development. This feature touches upon numerous aspects of the Ethereum stack, from consensus to execution, and requires careful synchronization and testing.
Hegotã: Shaping the Future with FOCIL and Account Abstraction
Looking beyond Glamsterdam, the next major network upgrade, tentatively named Hegotã, is already taking shape. The selection process for its primary feature has concluded, with FOCIL (EIP-7805) emerging as the chosen headliner for the consensus layer. FOCIL represents a significant advancement, and its integration is poised to be a cornerstone of the Hegotã upgrade.
The execution layer, however, presented a more dynamic discussion. A prominent proposal for an Account Abstraction enhancement, EIP-8141 (Frame transactions), generated considerable debate. Despite extensive discussions, a lack of full consensus among client developers regarding specific implementation choices led to the proposal being moved to the "Considered for Inclusion" (CFI) status. This designation signifies a commitment to continue working on an Account Abstraction proposal that can garner broader support within the developer community. The intention is to foster collaborative development and ensure that any Account Abstraction feature integrated into Hegotã reflects a consensus-driven approach, with active community participation.
Beyond Account Abstraction, there is a growing interest within the Ethereum ecosystem concerning quantum resistance. While no standalone proposal focused solely on quantum resistance has been formally introduced for Hegotã, the possibility exists for such features to be incorporated into broader proposals, potentially alongside Account Abstraction enhancements.
The process for submitting non-headlining features for Hegotã has been clearly defined. Commencing on April 9th, any developer or team can propose a non-headliner by integrating their Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) into the "Proposed for Inclusion" section of the upgrade’s meta EIP (EIP-8081). A definitive closing date for these submissions will be announced with at least two weeks’ advance notice. The official "forkcast" page for Hegotã is positioned as the central hub for the most up-to-date information regarding its development process and projected timeline.
Crucially, the deployment timeline for Hegotã is intrinsically linked to the progress and successful completion of the Glamsterdam upgrade. The successful rollout of Glamsterdam will pave the way for the subsequent phases of Hegotã’s development.
Evolving Upgrade Cadence and the Role of the Strawmap
The rapid succession of upgrades following Fusaka has fueled optimism for a faster iteration cycle in Ethereum’s development. However, the current reality with Glamsterdam underscores that the complexity of feature integration can significantly influence timelines. While Glamsterdam’s Q2 launch may appear unlikely, the single headliner chosen for Hegotã suggests a potential for a more streamlined process for its successor, especially if non-headliner selection proceeds efficiently. The possibility remains for the developer community to coalesce around a particularly impactful Account Abstraction proposal, potentially elevating it to headliner status for Hegotã, reflecting its critical importance to the Ethereum ecosystem.
In this context, the "strawmap" published earlier this year has emerged as a valuable, albeit informal, guide for the Ethereum community. While not an official roadmap, it has successfully reignited enthusiasm for having a directional framework that can inform feature selection for upgrades. This collaborative tool appears to be playing a beneficial role in fostering community consensus on development priorities.
Gas Limit Increases: Paving the Way for Enhanced Throughput
A persistent area of focus across ongoing development is the increase of the gas limit. Continuous testing on devnets is aimed at enabling higher gas limits in both Glamsterdam and subsequent upgrades, a critical step for improving the network’s transaction throughput. The current target for the baseline gas limit is 60 million gas. However, extensive testing is being conducted at significantly higher limits to fully understand the implications and identify necessary optimizations. Much of the gas repricing work integrated into Glamsterdam is specifically designed to facilitate safe and effective higher gas limits.
Empowering EIP Champions: New Resources for Proposal Development
The Ethereum ecosystem recognizes the importance of a robust and accessible process for proposing and championing new features. To this end, the Protocol Support team has released new resources designed to assist authors and advocates in navigating the proposal lifecycle. The newly published EIP Champion’s Handbook, available on the Protocol Support team’s website, provides guidance on how to effectively champion feature proposals, solicit stakeholder feedback, and steer them through the upgrade process. This initiative aims to streamline the path for innovative ideas to be considered for integration into future Ethereum upgrades.
Broader Implications and Future Outlook
The current phase of Ethereum’s core development highlights a commitment to both innovation and measured progress. The challenges encountered with Glamsterdam’s ePBS implementation, while leading to a slower pace, also demonstrate the meticulous approach taken to ensure the robustness of the network. The successful integration of such complex features will not only enhance Ethereum’s capabilities but also solidify its position as a leading platform for decentralized applications.
The proactive planning for Hegotã, with a clear headliner and a structured process for non-headliner proposals, suggests a continued drive towards modular and iterative upgrades. The focus on Account Abstraction, a feature widely anticipated by the community, underscores the developers’ responsiveness to ecosystem needs.
The ongoing efforts to increase the gas limit are directly addressing scalability concerns, which are paramount for widespread adoption and the viability of increasingly sophisticated decentralized applications. The collaboration between various teams and the community, as evidenced by the development of the strawmap and the new EIP Champion’s Handbook, signifies a maturing and increasingly transparent development process.
As Ethereum continues its evolution, the interplay between ambitious feature development, meticulous implementation, and community consensus will remain central to its success. The progress on Glamsterdam and the nascent plans for Hegotã represent critical steps in this ongoing journey, promising a more performant, secure, and versatile blockchain for the future.
Relevant All-Core Developer Calls (January 21st – April 9th):
The following All-Core Developer calls have been instrumental in shaping the current development landscape:
- All-Core Dev Tech (ACDT): Calls #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67. These discussions typically focus on the technical implementation details and progress of various EIPs and upgrade features.
- All-Core Dev Consensus (ACDC): Calls #176, #175, #174, #173. These meetings are crucial for aligning consensus layer changes with execution layer developments and resolving inter-layer dependencies.
- All-Core Dev Execution (ACDE): Calls #234, #233, #232, #231, #230, #229. These sessions are dedicated to the intricacies of the execution layer, including gas mechanics, state management, and EIP implementation on the EVM.
