Ethereum Foundation Announces 2026 Protocol Roadmap: Scalability, User Experience and Security at the Core
The foundation’s new priorities set the stage for the upcoming “Glamsterdam” upgrade and signal a continued shift toward a more resilient Layer‑1.
Overview
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) unveiled its 2026 protocol agenda on Tuesday, outlining three strategic pillars: scalability, user‑experience, and security. The roadmap, presented just weeks after co‑executive director Tomasz Stańczak announced his departure, builds on the “Protocol” framework introduced in June 2025 and aims to prepare the network for the extensive “Glamsterdam” upgrade slated for the first half of 2026.
Key Elements of the 2026 Priorities
| Pillar | Main Objectives | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Scalability | • Increase the block gas limit to, and eventually surpass, 100 million. • Advance account abstraction and cross‑chain interoperability. |
Higher transaction throughput and lower per‑tx costs, supporting the growing demand from DeFi, NFTs and emerging Web3 applications. |
| User Experience | • Refine onboarding flows through account abstraction. • Reduce latency and improve fee predictability. |
Smoother interactions for wallet users and developers, lowering barriers to entry for new participants. |
| Security & Resilience | • Harden the L1 protocol against attacks and censorship. • Boost network resilience through refined consensus mechanisms and client diversity. |
Strengthened trust in Ethereum’s base layer, critical for institutional adoption and the long‑term health of the ecosystem. |
The EF indicated that the scalability work will be carried out largely through a collection of up to 22 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that together compose the Glamsterdam upgrade. While the exact composition of the EIPs is still being refined, the majority focus on Layer‑1 enhancements, including sharding‑inspired optimizations, data availability improvements, and refined gas accounting.
Leadership Transition
Tomasz Stańczak, who has been a visible figure in the Foundation’s public outreach, confirmed he will step down at the end of the month. He plans to remain active in the broader Ethereum ecosystem, collaborating with developers and project founders on a consultancy basis. Bastian Aue has assumed interim co‑executive director responsibilities while the Foundation conducts a search for a permanent replacement.
Context: From “Protocol” to “Glamsterdam”
The “Protocol” initiative, launched in mid‑2025, was designed to give the Foundation a more agile decision‑making process for network upgrades. The move aligns with co‑founder Vitalik Buterin’s recent reassessment of the Layer‑2 landscape, which now emphasizes a tighter integration between L1 and L2 rather than a strict separation. By cementing L1 scalability and security, the EF aims to provide a more solid foundation for existing and future rollups.
Analysis
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Economic Implications – Raising the gas limit toward 100 million could dramatically increase the number of transactions per block, easing fee pressure that has plagued users during peak demand periods. However, a larger block size also raises concerns about node centralization, as higher hardware requirements may marginalize smaller operators. The EF’s commitment to “hardening L1” suggests that mitigations—such as improved client diversity and anti‑censorship measures—will accompany the expansion.
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Developer Outlook – The emphasis on account abstraction signals a shift toward more flexible wallet designs and smart‑contract‑based account models. Developers can anticipate a smoother path to building gas‑less onboarding experiences and cross‑chain bridges, potentially accelerating composability across DeFi protocols.
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Security Posture – By prioritizing “censorship resistance” and network resilience, the Foundation is responding to lingering concerns about “miner extractable value” (MEV) and state‑level attacks. Strengthening consensus client diversity and refining the core client codebase could reduce the attack surface and improve the network’s ability to withstand coordinated attempts at disruption.
- Timeline Risks – The Glamsterdam upgrade is ambitious: coordinating up to 22 EIPs within a six‑month window will require rigorous testing and community consensus. Past multi‑EIP upgrades (e.g., the Shanghai/Capella rollout) have shown that unforeseen bugs can delay deployment. The EF’s newly created “Protocol” governance structure should, in theory, enable faster iteration, but the real test will be how well it can manage such a large change set without fracturing the client ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
- Scalability push: Targeting a 100 million+ gas limit and deeper account abstraction to raise throughput and lower user fees.
- User‑experience focus: Streamlined onboarding and fee predictability aimed at broader adoption.
- Security hardening: Enhanced L1 resilience, censorship resistance, and client diversity to protect the network’s core.
- Glamsterdam upgrade: Up to 22 EIPs slated for early‑2026, primarily addressing Layer‑1 scalability.
- Leadership change: Tomasz Stańczak’s departure and Bastian Aue’s interim role may bring fresh perspectives to protocol governance.
- Strategic alignment: The roadmap dovetails with Vitalik Buterin’s revised view on Layer‑2 integration, reinforcing L1 as a robust substrate for rollups and other scaling solutions.
The EF’s 2026 protocol priorities lay out an ambitious, yet focused, agenda that could reshape the performance and security profile of Ethereum’s base layer. As the DeFi community watches the upcoming Glamsterdam rollout, the success of these initiatives will likely determine how quickly Ethereum can sustain its position as the leading smart‑contract platform amid mounting competition from alternative Layer‑1 solutions.
Source: https://thedefiant.io/news/blockchains/ethereum-foundation-sets-2026-protocol-priorities
