Ethereum creator and co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined 8 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that comprise the upcoming Glamsterdam hardfork scheduled for the first half of 2026.
Ethereum: 2026 Glamsterdam hardfork
The proposals follow Ethereum’s three-track roadmap enshrined in its 2025 “predictable engineering delivery model” and comprising:
- Scalability.
- Improved user experience.
- Heightened security, censorship-resistance, and quantum-resistance.
More specifically, block building will now take place directly on Ethereum rather than external relays. This increases decentralization and transaction verification time for validators.
Additionally, the upgrade will pave the way for parallel block verification, effectively increasing the network’s transaction processing speed. Users will also enjoy a 78.6% reduction in gas fees for both simple and complex smart contracts, and the ability to run nodes at a lower bandwidth.
Developers, on the other hand, would be financially incentivized to write leaner code on the network’s database, aka “The State.” They would also experience fewer memory-related errors during code compilation and fewer smart contract security risks.
Recent ETH developments and price action
Soon after the Glamsterdam hardfork, the Ethereum community will begin work on the Hegotá hardfork, with motivation coming from the timely completion of last year’s Pectra and Fusaka hardforks. So far, the Ethereum Foundation’s DevOps has already tested 3 EIPS on Devnet-4, with a transition to Devnet-5 being the current focus.
Before today’s announcement, Ethereum released a roadmap that would make it scalable and quantum-proof. The network also recently increased decentralization through the DeFipunk initiative, which seeks to reinstate DeFi’s original purpose.
Institutionally, spot Ethereum ETFs saw $157.14 million in inflows on February 25, breaking a five-week streak of outflows.
Several publicly traded companies have also incorporated Ethereum as their primary treasury reserve asset. BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) is currently the largest holder with a record 4.42 million ETH in its treasury.
To support institutional adoption, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) is exploring enterprise-grade financial confidentiality while maintaining regulatory compliance.
At press time, ETH was trading at $1,919 after failing to remain above the $2K mark, with macroeconomic and technical indicators showing bearish momentum.
Source: CoinMarketCap
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