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Ethereum's roadmap is a multi-year plan to transform the network into a more scalable, secure, and sustainable platform. Since completing The Merge in September 2022, Ethereum has shipped three major upgrades—Dencun, Pectra, and Fusaka—with more on the horizon. This guide covers where Ethereum stands today and what's coming next.
Key Takeaways
- Ethereum's roadmap has six phases: The Merge (complete), The Surge, The Scourge, The Verge, The Purge, and The Splurge
- Three major upgrades shipped since 2024: Dencun (March 2024), Pectra (May 2025), and Fusaka (December 2025)
- Blob capacity has increased 7x, dramatically reducing Layer 2 transaction costs
- Account abstraction is now live via EIP-7702, enabling programmable wallets
- Next upgrades: Glamsterdam (ePBS) and Hegotá (FOCIL censorship resistance) are in development
The Six Phases of Ethereum's Roadmap
Vitalik Buterin outlined Ethereum's future in six themed phases, each addressing different aspects of the network:
The Merge ✅ Complete
Completed September 15, 2022. Ethereum transitioned from energy-intensive Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, reducing energy consumption by ~99.95%. The Beacon Chain, launched in December 2020, merged with the execution layer to create today's unified PoS Ethereum.
The Surge 🟡 In Progress
Focused on scalability through rollups and data availability. Major progress:
- Proto-danksharding (EIP-4844) delivered in Dencun
- PeerDAS delivered in Fusaka—nodes now store only 1/8th of blob data
- Blob capacity increased from 3 to 21 maximum per block
- Full danksharding (64 blobs) still years away
The Scourge 🟡 In Progress
Addresses MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) and censorship resistance:
- Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS) coming in Glamsterdam upgrade
- FOCIL (Fork-choice Inclusion Lists) proposed for Hegotá to combat censorship
The Verge 🟠 Research Phase
Aims to enable stateless clients through Verkle trees. Currently in testnet phase (Gen Devnet 6). Verkle trees will allow nodes to verify blocks without storing the entire state, dramatically reducing hardware requirements.
The Purge 🟡 Partial Progress
Simplifies the protocol by removing historical baggage:
- History expiry implemented (July 2025)—clients can drop pre-Merge data
- State expiry still in research phase
The Splurge 🟡 In Progress
Miscellaneous improvements including account abstraction:
- EIP-7702 (EOA account code) now live—enables programmable wallets
- ERC-4337 ecosystem: 26+ million smart wallets, 170+ million operations processed
Completed Upgrades
Dencun (March 13, 2024)
The first post-Merge upgrade focused on scaling introduced proto-danksharding (EIP-4844):
- Blobs: New temporary data storage for rollups, pruned after ~18 days
- Initial capacity: 3 target / 6 maximum blobs per block
- KZG commitments: Cryptographic verification with over 140,000 ceremony participants
- Impact: Dramatically reduced Layer 2 transaction costs
Pectra (May 7, 2025)
The largest upgrade by EIP count delivered major improvements across staking, scaling, and account abstraction:
Account Abstraction:
- EIP-7702: EOAs can now be extended with smart contract functionality
- Enables: transaction bundling, gasless transactions, social recovery, spending limits
Validator Improvements:
- EIP-7251: Maximum validator balance increased from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH
- EIP-7002: Validators can trigger exits from the execution layer
- EIP-6110: Validator deposits processed on-chain instantly
Scaling:
- EIP-7691: Blob capacity doubled to 6 target / 9 maximum per block
- EIP-7623: Increased calldata costs to incentivize blob usage
Fusaka (December 3, 2025)
A scaling-focused upgrade that delivered PeerDAS and operational improvements:
PeerDAS (EIP-7594):
- Data Availability Sampling—nodes store only 1/8th of blob data
- Enables theoretical 8x scaling without proportional node requirements
- Blob capacity increased to 14 target / 21 maximum per block
Operational Improvements:
- Blob Parameter Only (BPO) forks: Blob counts can now adjust without full fork cycles
- Default gas limit set to 60 million (up from 30 million pre-2025)
- EIP-7917: Deterministic proposer lookahead enables preconfirmations
- EIP-7951: secp256r1 precompile for passkey/WebAuthn support
Upcoming Upgrades
Glamsterdam (In Development)
The next major upgrade focuses on two headline features:
- Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS): Moves block building separation into the protocol itself, improving decentralization and MEV handling
- Block-level Access Lists (BALs): Already in devnet testing
17 additional EIPs are under consideration, including contract size increases and validator slashing improvements.
Hegotá (Following Glamsterdam)
Currently in the headliner proposal phase:
- FOCIL (Fork-choice Inclusion Lists): Leading candidate—a censorship resistance mechanism moved from Glamsterdam
- Headliner decision expected by late February 2026
- Other proposals include 6-second slots (timing uncertain)
Scaling Progress: Blob Capacity Evolution
Ethereum's L2 scaling capacity has increased dramatically:
| Upgrade | Date | Target Blobs | Max Blobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dencun | March 2024 | 3 | 6 |
| Pectra | May 2025 | 6 | 9 |
| Fusaka + BPO | Jan 2026 | 14 | 21 |
| Full Danksharding | Future | — | 64 |
This 7x increase in blob capacity has significantly reduced Layer 2 transaction costs, making Ethereum-based rollups more competitive.
Account Abstraction: The New Wallet Era
Account abstraction transforms how users interact with Ethereum:
Before (EOA wallets):
- Single private key controls everything
- Must hold ETH to pay gas
- No recovery options if key is lost
After (Smart accounts via EIP-7702 + ERC-4337):
- Programmable security (multisig, spending limits, social recovery)
- Gasless transactions (sponsors can pay)
- Transaction bundling (multiple actions in one)
- Passkey/biometric authentication (via EIP-7951)
The ecosystem has grown to 26+ million smart wallets with 170+ million operations processed.
What's Still Years Away
Full Danksharding
The complete vision of 64 blobs per block requires additional research and implementation. PeerDAS was a critical prerequisite, now complete.
Verkle Trees
Essential for stateless clients, Verkle trees are in testnet but require substantial client work before mainnet deployment.
Single Slot Finality (SSF)
Currently in research phase. Would reduce finality time from ~15 minutes to 12 seconds, but requires Verkle trees and other prerequisites.
Ethereum Foundation Updates
Recent organizational changes:
- Tomasz Stańczak stepped down as Co-Executive Director (February 2026)
- Bastian Aue appointed interim alongside Hsiao-Wei Wang
- "Trillion Dollar Security" initiative launched for ecosystem security
- Devcon 8 announced for Mumbai, India (November 3-6, 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Ethereum be "finished"?
Ethereum's roadmap is ongoing—there's no final "complete" state. Major phases will take years to fully implement. The goal is continuous improvement while maintaining stability.
How do upgrades affect ETH holders?
Network upgrades happen automatically—you don't need to do anything. Your ETH and tokens remain safe. Upgrades improve network capabilities without requiring user action.
What happened to "Ethereum 2.0"?
The term was retired. What was called "Eth2" is now simply Ethereum post-Merge. The phased roadmap (Surge, Scourge, etc.) replaced the Eth2 branding.
Will gas fees keep decreasing?
Layer 1 gas fees depend on network demand. However, Layer 2 rollups benefit directly from increased blob capacity, making L2 transactions increasingly affordable.
Conclusion
Ethereum's roadmap has delivered significant progress since The Merge. Three major upgrades in two years—Dencun, Pectra, and Fusaka—have transformed scaling capabilities, introduced account abstraction, and improved validator economics. With Glamsterdam and Hegotá in development, Ethereum continues evolving toward its vision of a scalable, secure, and decentralized world computer.
