Ethereum continues to evolve, with new updates aimed at improving the network's efficiency, security, and usability. Two major upgrades are on the horizon: Fusaka, expected in November, and Glamsterdam, planned for 2026.
What Fusaka Brings to the Table
Fusaka represents a significant step for Ethereum, aimed at increasing the network's efficiency and scalability. This upgrade follows Pectra, released six months ago, which introduced features such as account abstraction and better layer-2 network support.
Fusaka will include several key improvements. One important proposal, EIP-7825, aims to strengthen Ethereum against attacks and help it handle more transactions. Developers also plan to increase Ethereum's gas limit to 150 million, allowing more transactions to be processed in each block, potentially lowering costs and improving speed.
However, to expedite testing, a proposal to double contract code size (EIP-7907) has been removed from Fusaka for now. Notably, the controversial EVM Object Format upgrade will also not be part of Fusaka.
Testing for Fusaka will happen in September and October with two public testnets before its planned launch in early November. Despite the tight schedule, developers are working hard to meet the deadline.
Glimpses of Glamsterdam
Beyond Fusaka, the Ethereum community is already looking ahead to the Glamsterdam hard fork, expected to arrive sometime in 2026. This upgrade may introduce even more changes. One exciting proposal from Ethereum core developer Barnabé Monnot suggests cutting the block time from 12 seconds to just six seconds.
This change would make the network much faster, greatly improving the user experience and making decentralized finance (DeFi) applications more efficient.
At the same time, many Ethereum validators are backing a proposal to raise the network's gas limit to 45 million. While this differs from the 150 million gas limit suggested for Fusaka, the goal remains the same: lowering transaction fees and boosting scalability.
Importance of the Upgrades for Ethereum
The Fusaka and Glamsterdam upgrades are critical for Ethereum's future. They reflect the developers' commitment to improving the network's scalability, security, and efficiency, ensuring that Ethereum remains a leading blockchain platform. The community eagerly awaits these upgrades and the enhancements they promise for the network's performance and functionality.
The Fusaka and Glamsterdam upgrades are crucial for Ethereum's ongoing development. Developers continue to work on enhancing the network's efficiency and security, enabling it to handle the growing demands of users in an ever-evolving cryptocurrency landscape.