The Ethereum Foundation has outlined its core protocol objectives for the coming year, prioritizing enhanced network throughput, a smoother user experience, and reinforced security. While the roadmap presents a coherent long-term vision, its immediate reception in the markets has been muted.
Market Reaction Contrasts with Technical Ambition
Despite the clear strategic milestones, the announcement has failed to act as a short-term catalyst for Ethereum’s price. The asset has faced significant pressure in recent weeks, registering a 33% decline over a 30-day period according to the provided data.
This bearish sentiment was compounded by institutional movement reports from February 18. SEC filings revealed that entities associated with investor Peter Thiel reduced their positions in “ETHZilla,” a vehicle offering exposure to Ethereum treasury assets. While analysts, such as those cited by Traders Union, note that such moves are not a direct “spot price switch,” they emphasize the narrative impact on the market. In a fragile environment, sell-offs from large addresses can visibly weaken the broader willingness to hold.
The Three Pillars of 2026: Scale, UX, and Layer-1 Resilience
In a February 18 blog post, the Foundation detailed three strategic tracks for 2026: “Scale,” “Improve UX,” and “Harden the L1.” The central technical ambition is to push the Layer-1 blockchain’s gas limit “toward and beyond” 100 million. Achieving this would significantly expand transaction capacity directly on Ethereum’s base layer.
This builds upon progress made in 2025, which the Foundation described as a “productive” year. The Pectra and Fusaka upgrades raised the gas limit from 30 to 60 million and introduced PeerDAS (Data Availability Sampling) alongside validator onboarding improvements.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Ethereum?
The 2026 agenda will be executed through two major hard forks:
* “Glamsterdam” (First Half of 2026): Focused on Layer-1 scaling and efficiency, potentially involving up to 22 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs).
* “Hegotá” (Later in 2026): Aimed at implementing higher gas limits, “native account abstraction” for more flexible and user-friendly accounts, and initial preparatory measures for “post-quantum” security.
Concurrently, the Foundation highlighted “blob scaling” as a key lever for Layer-2 networks, with goals to reduce finality times and further lower transaction costs across the rollup ecosystem.
Underlying Philosophy: Capacity Without Compromise
A notable emphasis in the 2026 plan is the “Harden the L1” initiative. This encompasses research and development focused on censorship resistance and long-term security, explicitly including preparations for potential future threats from quantum computing. The underlying message is that Ethereum intends to expand its capacity without diluting its core role as a maximally neutral settlement layer.
The calendar for the year paints a clear picture: The first half will see “Glamsterdam” drive efficiency and scaling, while “Hegotá” in the latter part of the year is slated to deliver larger capacity increases and new account functionality. In the near term, however, Ethereum’s price action remains tied to broader risk sentiment and the market’s ability to process selling pressure around the psychologically significant $2,000 level.
Ad
Ethereum Stock: Buy or Sell?! New Ethereum Analysis from February 20 delivers the answer:
The latest Ethereum figures speak for themselves: Urgent action needed for Ethereum investors. Is it worth buying or should you sell? Find out what to do now in the current free analysis from February 20.
Ethereum: Buy or sell? Read more here...