Ethereum has named the next upgrade after Glamsterdam "Hegota," thus finalizing the development timeline for 2026 and continuing the twice-yearly release schedule.
Hegota is a portmanteau of the “Bogota” implementation layer upgrade and the “Heze” consensus layer, following the tradition of naming Devcon host cities and celestial bodies. The decision was made at the final All Core Developers Execution (ACDE) meeting of the year.
- Ethereum has chosen the name "Hegota" for its 2026 upgrade cycle, following a release schedule of twice a year.
- Hegota's most important EIP proposal will be selected in February; the ACDE will reconvene on January 5th to finalize the scope of Glamsterdam.
- Hegoti can contain scheduling elements such as Verkle Trees, state/history expiration mechanisms, and implementation layer optimization.
"Hegota" sets Ethereum upgrade cycle for 2026.
Hegota is the official name for the next upgrade after Glamsterdam, laying the groundwork for Ethereum's 2026 development plan and maintaining a regular upgrade schedule.
Ethereum is pursuing a “steady and predictable” release schedule, prioritizing iterative improvements over massive overhauls all at once. According to the current roadmap, Glamsterdam is expected to launch in the first half of 2026, with Hegota following later in the year.
The naming decision was made during the final All Core Developers Execution call of the year. ACDE meetings will return on January 5th to finalize the scope of Glamsterdam, aiming to lock in the feature list and reduce the risk of delays.
Hegota is a combination of "Bogota" and "Heze".
Hegota is a portmantein of “Bogota” (execution layer) and “Heze” (consensus layer), reflecting how Ethereum organizes change across the layers of the protocol.
This paired naming convention helps the community clearly track the execution layer and Consensus layer tasks, while maintaining the "Devcon host cities + celestial bodies" tradition in the network's upgrade branding.
Hegota's most important EIP (Employment Innovation Plan) is yet to be finalized and is expected to be selected in February. This approach allows development teams to balance urgency, deployment complexity, and ecosystem readiness (client, tooling, testing).
Glamsterdam prioritizes Layer 1 efficiency and increased decentralization.
Glamsterdam focuses on optimizing Layer 1 efficiency and strengthening decentralization through changes to Block building mechanics and Gas Price.
The items mentioned include enshrined proposer-builder separation (incorporating PBS into the protocol), Block-level access lists, and gas repricing adjustments. The overall goal is to improve performance and reduce bottlenecks when the network has to handle a larger volume , while also mitigating the risk of centralization in the Block supply chain .
Some more complex changes—for example, reducing slot times—may not be ready in time for Glamsterdam and will be pushed to Hegota, in order to maintain a stable release schedule and reduce the risk surface of a Hard Fork.
Hegota may take on projects that have been postponed, such as Verkle Trees.
Hegota may include features ported from Glamsterdam, most notably Verkle Trees to move toward client-stateless systems, along with state/history expiration mechanisms and implementation layer optimization.
Verkle Trees are XEM a crucial Shard in supporting fully stateless clients: reducing the storage burden on nodes, making node operation easier, and expanding the pool of participants validating/serving data. Additionally, state expiry and history expiry mechanisms aim to "clean up" data over time, limiting the bloat of state and history.
If these elements are incorporated into Hegota, they can be accompanied by various execution layer optimizations to reduce processing costs, improve actual throughput, and enhance the user experience for applications on Layer 1 and the rollup infrastructure.
Hegota is linked to Ethereum's multi-phase roadmap after The Merge.
Hegota aligns with Ethereum's multi-phase roadmap: scaling through rollups, moving toward statelessness, then cleaning up history and simplifying the protocol.
This roadmap begins with The Merge (2022). The Surge focuses on rollup-based scaling; The Verge emphasizes statelessness; The Purge and The Splurge aim to clean up historical data and streamline/perfect the rest of the protocol.
In that picture, the ability to integrate Verkle into Hegota directly supports The Verge: reducing node storage requirements, increasing the ability to operate independent infrastructure, and expanding network participation—a key factor in keeping Ethereum decentralized as demand grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hegota in Ethereum's upgrade plan?
Hegota is the name of the next upgrade after Glamsterdam, representing the Ethereum development cycle in 2026 and maintaining an upgrade release schedule of approximately twice a year.
Why is Hegota a combination of Bogota and Heze?
Hegota combines the names of the implementation layer upgrade (Bogota) and the consensus layer upgrade (Heze), which helps to separate the scope of change by protocol layer and maintains Ethereum's naming tradition.
When will Ethereum choose the most important EIP for Hegota?
Hegota's EIP “headliner” proposal is expected to be selected in February, while developers continue to refine the Glamsterdam range.
What changes is Glamsterdam focusing on?
Glamsterdam prioritizes Layer 1 efficiency and decentralization, including enshrined PBS, Block-level access lists, and gas repricing; more complex changes can be moved to Hegota.
Could Verkle Trees appear in Hegota?
Possibly. Verkle Trees is a proposed candidate for inclusion in Hegota should the schedule be postponed, aiming to support stateless client support and reduce node storage requirements.
