Ethereum Plans ‘Glamsterdam’ and ‘Hegota’ Upgrades to Boost Network in 2026

Ethereum has announced two major network upgrades scheduled for 2026, named ‘Glamsterdam’ and ‘Hegota’, marking a shift to a biannual upgrade cadence. These upgrades aim to address scalability, security, and decentralization, reflecting Ethereum’s evolving strategy to sustain its position in the competitive blockchain landscape.

What happened

Ethereum’s development roadmap, historically characterized by irregular and milestone-driven upgrades, is transitioning to a more predictable, biannual schedule starting in 2026. This new cadence is designed to facilitate incremental improvements and better planning for developers and users alike.

The first upgrade, ‘Glamsterdam’, is slated for the first quarter of 2026. Its primary focus is on enhancing scalability and efficiency within the Ethereum network, aiming to reduce transaction costs and increase throughput. The second upgrade, ‘Hegota’, scheduled for the third quarter of 2026, targets improvements in security and decentralization, although specific technical details remain undisclosed.

This biannual upgrade approach is intended to strike a balance between the often competing priorities of scalability, security, and decentralization. According to the Ethereum Foundation’s official blog, this approach allows for more iterative and manageable protocol changes rather than large, disruptive updates.

Independent analysis from blockchain research firms supports this view. Electric Capital highlights that a predictable upgrade schedule can enhance developer and user confidence, potentially strengthening Ethereum’s competitive edge against other Layer 1 blockchains. Meanwhile, Messari notes that the ‘Glamsterdam’ upgrade’s emphasis on scalability aligns with Ethereum’s ongoing efforts to lower gas fees and increase transaction speeds, which are critical for maintaining its dominance in decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible token (NFT) markets.

Why this matters

The shift to a biannual upgrade schedule represents a significant strategic evolution for Ethereum, a platform that underpins a substantial portion of the decentralized application ecosystem. By committing to a regular cadence of upgrades, Ethereum aims to improve predictability for developers and users, which can foster greater innovation and adoption.

Scalability challenges have long been a bottleneck for Ethereum, contributing to high transaction fees and network congestion during peak usage. The ‘Glamsterdam’ upgrade’s focus on scalability is therefore a critical step toward sustaining Ethereum’s leadership in DeFi, NFTs, and other blockchain-based applications that demand high throughput and low costs.

Following scalability improvements with a security and decentralization-focused upgrade like ‘Hegota’ suggests a phased approach designed to avoid compromising network integrity while evolving the protocol. This approach reflects Ethereum’s foundational commitment to the “blockchain trilemma,” which posits that scalability, security, and decentralization are difficult to achieve simultaneously.

Moreover, the predictable upgrade schedule may provide a competitive advantage by enabling ecosystem participants to better prepare for and integrate protocol changes. This could improve developer productivity and user experience, factors that are increasingly important as Ethereum faces competition from other Layer 1 blockchains offering alternative scaling solutions.

What remains unclear

Despite the broad outlines, several key details about the ‘Glamsterdam’ and ‘Hegota’ upgrades remain unspecified. Neither the Ethereum Foundation nor independent sources have released detailed Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) or comprehensive feature lists for these upgrades.

Specifically, the mechanisms by which ‘Hegota’ will enhance security and decentralization have not been disclosed. It is also unclear how these upgrades will interact with existing Layer 2 scaling solutions or cross-chain interoperability initiatives, both of which are vital to Ethereum’s ecosystem.

The impact of the biannual upgrade schedule on Ethereum’s responsiveness to urgent security vulnerabilities or unexpected bugs is also an open question. While a predictable cadence supports planning, it may limit flexibility in addressing unforeseen issues between scheduled upgrades.

Additionally, the potential effects of these upgrades on Ethereum’s energy consumption and environmental footprint have not been addressed in current communications.

What to watch next

Release of detailed Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) or technical documentation outlining specific features of ‘Glamsterdam’ and ‘Hegota’ upgrades.
Further clarifications from the Ethereum Foundation regarding how the biannual upgrade cadence will handle urgent security issues or critical bug fixes outside the scheduled upgrades.
Analysis of how ‘Glamsterdam’ will integrate with Layer 2 scaling solutions and its impact on gas fees and transaction throughput.
Insight into the security and decentralization mechanisms planned for ‘Hegota’, including any changes to consensus protocols or node participation.
Updates on the environmental implications of the upgrades, particularly in the context of Ethereum’s recent transition to proof-of-stake consensus.

While Ethereum’s commitment to a biannual upgrade schedule with ‘Glamsterdam’ and ‘Hegota’ marks a strategic shift towards balancing scalability, security, and decentralization, significant technical details and operational impacts remain to be clarified. The success of this approach will depend on how well these upgrades deliver on their goals without compromising network stability or responsiveness.

Source: https://beincrypto.com/ethereum-network-upgrades-for-2026/. This article is based on verified research material available at the time of writing. Where information is limited or unavailable, this is stated explicitly.