Ethereum is charting an ambitious course for 2026, focusing on a two-pronged strategy to significantly enhance its scalability and throughput. These intertwined efforts aim to bolster both the data capacity for Layer 2 rollups and the raw execution power of the base layer, setting the stage for a more robust and efficient network.
Enhancing Rollup Data Capacity
A cornerstone of Ethereum's 2026 roadmap is the expansion of rollup data capacity, primarily driven by the introduction of "blobs." This track, anchored by the Fusaka upgrade shipped in December 2025, leverages PeerDAS (Peer Data Availability Sampling) and Blob Parameter Only (BPO) changes. PeerDAS is designed to scale rollup data availability without burdening every node with downloading every blob, acting as a crucial "capacity ramp." Initial blob targets will increase gradually, potentially doubling every few weeks to a maximum target of 48 blobs per block, significantly boosting rollup throughput from approximately 220 to 3,500 UOPS (Units of Operations) in optimistic scenarios. However, the practical success hinges on whether demand materializes as blob usage and if p2p stability and node bandwidth remain within operator tolerances as BPO increases roll out.
Boosting Base-Layer Execution
The second major thrust involves pushing base-layer execution higher through strategic gas limit changes, a move contingent on a fundamental shift in how validators process blocks. Rather than re-executing entire blocks, validators will increasingly rely on verifying ZK (Zero-Knowledge) execution proofs. Ethereum is already testing higher throughput through social coordination, with the gas limit reaching 60,000,000—a level accepted in practice that equates to about 5,000,000 gas per second. Future targets, like a high-end case of 200,000,000 gas limit (≈16,666,667 gas/sec), necessitate this validation paradigm change. The "Glamsterdam" upgrade wraps several execution-oriented ideas into a collective shorthand, including enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS, EIP-7732), Block-Level Access Lists (BALs, EIP-7928), and general repricing (EIP-7904). These initiatives aim to address gas schedule mismatches, enable parallelism, and decouple execution validation from consensus, albeit introducing new complexities and potential latency challenges.
The Road Ahead: ZK-Proofs and Future Upgrades
Achieving "very high" gas limits fundamentally depends on validators adopting ZK-proofs for real-time validation. The Ethereum Foundation's roadmap outlines a staged path, beginning with a small set of validators running ZK clients in production, gradually scaling up as a supermajority of stake becomes comfortable. This shift requires maintaining stringent security targets (128-bit security, proof sizes under 300 KiB) and fostering a decentralized proving market where proof supply is both cheap and credible. Beyond Glamsterdam, "Hegota" is positioned as a later-2026 named slot, focusing more on process and creating dated decision points for developers and investors. The overarching challenge remains ensuring liveness under stress, rather than merely steady-state fee outcomes, as Ethereum pushes the boundaries of its architecture.
