Ethereum developers have 66 improvement proposals on the table for the network's 2027 Hegotá upgrade, with privacy primitives and censorship resistance leading the discussion. Ethereum Foundation researcher Toni Wahrstätter confirmed on August 16 that the list will be cut over upcoming core developer calls to include only proposals with a realistic path to mainnet deployment next year.
Any EIP that misses the cut waits for a later fork. That makes the next few weeks decisive for where Ethereum's protocol goes in the near term.
What's locked in so far?
One proposal has already been confirmed: FOCIL, or Fork-choice Enforced Inclusion Lists (EIP-7805). This mechanism lets a committee of validators compile lists of pending transactions that block builders must include. The intent is to strip any single builder of unilateral discretion over what gets into a block, strengthening the network's resistance to censorship.
Everything else remains under consideration.
Privacy proposals: Frame Transactions and its companions
The most discussed privacy change is Frame Transactions (EIP-8141). It would let accounts define their own rules for how transactions are authorized, executed, and paid for. Practical applications include one party covering gas fees for another, bundling multiple operations into a single transaction, or using alternative cryptographic approval methods without abandoning an existing address.
Two supporting proposals address problems that appear when many private transactions originate from the same account:
- Keyed Nonces (EIP-8250): Independent counters for different transaction streams. A stuck transaction would no longer block every subsequent one from the same account.
- Root References (EIP-8272): A transaction can prove validity by referencing a recent cryptographic record rather than state data that might shift while it sits in the mempool.
Together, these three EIPs would reduce reliance on specialized relays and intermediary services that privacy-focused applications currently need. They would not make the network private by default. Ordinary ETH transfers between standard addresses stay fully transparent. The changes give developers stronger native primitives to build privacy-preserving systems with fewer third-party dependencies and less metadata leakage.
What else is on the table?
The 66 EIPs cover a wide spread of priorities beyond privacy:
- Data and state-growth pricing adjustments (EIP-8131, EIP-8279, EIP-8368) to support higher gas limits, potentially toward 600 million.
- Shorter slot times (EIP-8198).
- Issuance and validator reward modifications (EIP-8363).
- Anti-correlation penalties (EIP-7716).
- EVM simplifications and first formal discussions of zkEVM and post-quantum cryptography changes.
Wahrstätter noted that the pricing and scaling work, while less flashy than privacy features, represents some of the most important short-term progress the network can make.
Where does this fit in Ethereum's roadmap?
Hegotá follows the Glamsterdam upgrade, which developers aim to complete by the end of 2026. Glamsterdam focuses on scalability, Layer-1 security, and usability. With Glamsterdam already more than 250 days into development, there is pressure to keep subsequent upgrades on a reliable annual cadence.
Developers have stressed that a fork cannot be an open wishlist. Hard choices about what ships now versus what waits are part of the process. Community input remains welcome during the selection phase.
Logicity's Take
For fintech teams building on Ethereum, the privacy proposals are the ones to watch. Frame Transactions and its companions could reduce dependence on third-party relayer infrastructure, cutting both costs and compliance complexity for private transaction flows. But nothing is final. If your roadmap depends on any of these EIPs, track the core developer calls closely. Anything that misses Hegotá waits until 2028 at the earliest.
Visa's stablecoin stance has direct implications for how Ethereum-based payment infrastructure evolves.
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Source: Crowdfund Insider
Huma Shazia
Senior AI & Tech Writer
Produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the Logicity editorial team. Learn more in our Editorial Policy.
