Ethereum News Today: Ethereum Prepares Fusaka Upgrade for November Launch

Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, is gearing up for another significant upgrade known as Fusaka, scheduled to go live in early November. This upgrade is part of a series of improvements aimed at enhancing the network's scalability, censorship resistance, and overall user experience. The core development team has planned the mainnet launch for early November, with the next Devnet (Devnet-3) set to launch in two days. Following Fusaka, the Glamsterdam upgrade is expected to be decided upon in the coming weeks.

To expedite the testing process, one Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP), 7907, which suggested changes to the size limits of code for smart contracts, has been removed. This upgrade comes just six months after the release of Pectra, showcasing the rapid development and expansion of the Ethereum network. Comparatively, Dencun went live in March 2024, boosting the performance of Layer-2 solutions, and Pectra, which brought wallet improvements and increased the validator limit, followed over a year later.

Before the mainnet launch of Fusaka, two public testnets are scheduled to go live in September and October. These testnets will ensure that the upgrade is thoroughly tested and ready for deployment. The upgrade will include a plethora of proposals, with notable ones being EIP-7594: PeerDAS – Peer Data Availability Sampling, EIP-7825: Transaction Gas Limit Cap, and EIP-7934: RLP Execution Block Size Limit. These proposals aim to enhance data availability, introduce a cap for the gas used in each transaction, and reduce the likelihood of DoS attacks, respectively.

The Fusaka upgrade is set to introduce 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), with a focus on enhancing the network’s resilience to potential attacks and improving scalability. Notably, EIP-7825 is a key proposal that aims to bolster the network's defenses while paving the way for better scalability. Initially, developers had considered expanding the contract code size and implementing advanced gas metering through EIP-7907, but these features have been dropped to streamline the upgrade process.

The Fusaka upgrade will undergo a series of testing phases, with two public testnets scheduled to launch in September and October. These testnets will pave the way for the mainnet launch, which is planned to occur ahead of Devconnect, an event set to take place in Buenos Aires from November 17 to 22. Another notable change under consideration is an increase in Ethereum’s gas limit to 150 million, a move aimed at accommodating more transactions and improving overall network throughput. While the development team remains optimistic about meeting the November deadline, some community members have expressed concerns about the tight timeline. Ethereum protocol contributor Nixo emphasized the urgency of finalizing client releases to stay on track, stating that the timeline needs to be tight to ensure the upgrade is ready by Devconnect.

Even as Fusaka approaches its launch, Ethereum developers are already preparing for the network’s next major upgrade, Glamsterdam. A final decision on which features will be included in Glamsterdam is expected on August 1, during the upcoming AllCoreDevs Execution meeting. One potential addition to Glamsterdam is a proposal by core developer Barnabé Monnot to reduce Ethereum’s block time from 12 seconds to 6 seconds. Such a change would dramatically speed up the network, enhancing user experience and benefiting decentralized applications, especially those in the DeFi space. Glamsterdam is tentatively scheduled for release in 2026.

Community input continues to play a key role in Ethereum’s evolution. Validators have recently shown strong support for raising the gas limit to 45 million, a more modest increase than what’s being considered for Fusaka. The move is seen as a way to cut transaction costs and further improve scalability. To sum up, Fusaka and Glamsterdam mark the next steps in Ethereum’s ongoing development, aimed at improving performance and preparing the network for future demands. While challenges around timing and implementation remain, the back-to-back upgrade schedule reflects a steady, incremental approach to protocol evolution, one that balances ambition with the realities of technical complexity.