Ethereum News Today: Ethereum's Fusaka Fork Tackles Blockchain Trilemma in December Push

Ethereum's much-anticipated Fusaka fork has cleared its final testnet hurdle, with the upgrade now primed for a December 3 mainnet launch. The blockchain's third and final testnet deployment, Hoodi, activated the fork on Tuesday, marking a critical step toward implementing scalability and security enhancements. Core developers have tentatively set the mainnet activation for Dec. 3, with the Ethereum Foundation requiring a 30-day buffer after testnet testing to ensure stability, according to a Cointelegraph report.

The Fusaka upgrade introduces several Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), including EIP-7594, which enables Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS). This innovation allows validators to verify smaller data segments on layer 2 networks instead of full "blobs," improving node efficiency and data availability for decentralized applications, the Cointelegraph report said. Additional EIPs, such as EIP-7825 and EIP-7935, aim to increase gas limits and optimize parallel execution capabilities, allowing the network to process multiple smart contracts simultaneously. These changes are part of Ethereum's broader "Surge" roadmap to address the blockchain trilemma—balancing scalability, security, and decentralization, the report added.

The upgrade comes as Ethereum faces rising demand from institutional investors, with $134 million in inflows into Ethereum spot ETFs this month. This surge reflects growing corporate adoption of Ether (ETH), driven by its energy-efficient proof-of-stake model and yield-bearing features, according to TradingView. Meanwhile, Ethereum treasury firms, including Tom Lee's Bitmine, have overtaken Bitcoin counterparts in circulating supply dominance, holding 3.2 million ETH—0.40% of the total supply—compared to Bitcoin's 0.36%, according to a Yahoo Finance analysis.

Fusaka's implementation will occur in three stages: the mainnet launch, activation of a blob capacity increase EIP, and a second blob capacity hard fork. Once completed, the focus will shift to the next major upgrade, Glamsterdam, which aims to further boost scalability and reduce block times, the Cointelegraph report noted. The Ethereum Foundation has also launched a $2 million bug bounty program to incentivize security researchers to identify vulnerabilities in the upgrade, according to The Block.

The timing of Fusaka's deployment aligns with broader market optimism. Ethereum's price rebounded to $4,099 on Oct. 26, fueled by geopolitical developments, including U.S.-China trade talks and Trump's Asian tour. The token's 10% weekly recovery mirrored gains across the top 10 cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin and Solana also posting strong performance, the Cointelegraph report said. Analysts attribute Ethereum's resilience to its growing institutional appeal and regulatory clarity, including the approval of ETH ETF staking in 2025, the Yahoo Finance analysis added.

Despite the positive momentum, the Ethereum Foundation has faced internal challenges, including leadership changes and criticism from key contributors. These shifts highlight the network's evolving governance structure as it navigates competing priorities in scalability and security, the Cointelegraph report observed.