A significant technical enhancement is slated for the Ethereum network by the close of 2026, designed to substantially increase the difficulty of selectively censoring or delaying transactions. This development places a renewed emphasis on the blockchain’s foundational resistance to interference.
The Technical Mechanism: Enforcing Transaction Inclusion
At the heart of this upgrade is a proposed protocol change known as Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists (FOCIL), formally documented as EIP-7805. Its core objective is to prevent network validators from arbitrarily ignoring or postponing valid transactions based on their discretion.
The technical implementation revolves around Inclusion Lists, which are to be enforced by committees of validators. If a list designates certain valid transactions for processing and a block producer omits them, the network’s fork-choice rules can reject that block entirely. This embeds a protocol-level guarantee that legitimate transactions are processed within a more predictable timeframe, moving beyond a reliance on social consensus.
This initiative addresses growing concerns over potential censorship, where validators might be incentivized to exclude transactions from specific applications or sanctioned addresses. By integrating enforcement directly into the consensus logic, FOCIL aims to raise the practical and economic barriers to such actions.
Integration into the Broader Development Roadmap
FOCIL is planned as a central component of the Hegota hard fork, currently targeted by developers for late 2026. This aligns with the recently published Ethereum Foundation protocol priorities for the year, which are organized into three key tracks: “Scale,” “Improve UX,” and “Harden the L1.”
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Ethereum?
The FOCIL proposal falls squarely under the “Harden the L1” initiative. This track also encompasses work on post-quantum cryptography and additional protective measures at the execution layer. The underlying philosophy is clear: a robust and neutral base layer is a prerequisite for reliably supporting future growth and innovative applications.
A Two-Part Upgrade Schedule for 2026
The Hegota upgrade is anticipated to be the second major hard fork of 2026. It will be preceded by another significant update, Glamsterdam, expected in the first half of the year.
Beyond bolstering censorship resistance, the published roadmap highlights additional priorities for the coming period. These include enhanced scalability through a push to increase the gas limit “towards and beyond” 100 million, alongside user experience improvements via native account abstraction.
Market performance has presented a different narrative over the short term, with Ethereum’s value declining by approximately 34% over the past 30 days, according to available data. However, developer communications consistently emphasize a focus on long-term, structural protocol improvements rather than short-term metrics.
The established timeline sets Glamsterdam for the first half of 2026 and Hegota (featuring FOCIL) for late 2026. These milestones are poised to serve as critical indicators for observers tracking Ethereum’s next major advancements in neutrality, scalability, and user-friendliness.
Ad
Ethereum Stock: Buy or Sell?! New Ethereum Analysis from February 22 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 22.
Ethereum: Buy or sell? Read more here...