Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has responded to recent community discussions, suggesting that future network upgrades may arrive at an accelerated pace. In a post on the social platform X, Buterin noted growing support for more frequent hard forks following the upcoming Pectra upgrade:
“I see a lot of people open to faster hard forks after Pectra, and almost no opposition.”
This statement signals a potential shift in Ethereum’s upgrade cadence—moving from major biannual updates toward a more agile development cycle. As the ecosystem evolves, scalability, usability, and long-term sustainability remain central to the roadmap.
The Pectra Upgrade: What’s Coming Next?
Scheduled for deployment on May 7, 2025, the Pectra upgrade marks Ethereum’s first major enhancement since the Dencun upgrade launched in March 2024. Pectra combines two critical components:
- Prague (execution layer upgrade)
- Electra (consensus layer upgrade)
Together, they introduce pivotal improvements designed to enhance user experience and network efficiency.
Key features of the Pectra upgrade include:
- Account Abstraction (ERC-4337 integration) – Streamlining wallet interactions by enabling smart contract wallets as default accounts.
- Higher staking limits – Allowing validators to stake more than 32 ETH, improving decentralization and participation.
- Increased blob capacity – Expanding blob transactions from 6 to potentially 9 per block, significantly boosting rollup performance and reducing Layer 2 transaction costs.
These changes are crucial for scaling Ethereum and supporting broader adoption, especially as Layer 2 solutions continue to grow in popularity.
👉 Discover how next-gen blockchain upgrades are shaping the future of decentralized finance.
What Comes After Pectra? Introducing Fusaka and Glamsterdam
Following Pectra, Ethereum developers are already preparing the next phases: Fusaka and Glamsterdam.
Fusaka: Efficiency Through Standardization
Fusaka merges the Fulu and Osaka upgrades, focusing on foundational protocol improvements:
- EVM Object Format (EOF) – A new binary format for Ethereum Virtual Machine code that improves execution efficiency, reduces runtime errors, and enables forward compatibility.
- PeerDAS (Peer Data Availability Sampling) – Enhances data availability mechanisms, allowing light clients to verify data without downloading full blocks—critical for decentralized scaling.
These upgrades lay the groundwork for a more robust and maintainable execution environment, ensuring Ethereum can scale securely over time.
Glamsterdam: The Path to Radical Scalability
Beyond Fusaka lies Glamsterdam, a transformative upgrade combining Gloas and Amsterdam proposals. This phase could redefine how Ethereum handles state storage and validation.
The most anticipated change in Glamsterdam is the transition from Merkle Trees to Verkle Trees. This shift promises:
- Drastically reduced proof sizes for state validation
- Faster synchronization for new nodes
- Improved client efficiency and lower hardware requirements
Buterin emphasized one key priority within Glamsterdam: increasing the gas limit.
“From where I'm standing, there's basically universal agreement among researchers that gas limit increase features are top priority for glamsterdam.”
A higher gas limit would allow more transactions per block, directly addressing congestion during peak usage. If implemented successfully, it could delay or reduce the need for complex sharding layers in the short term.
Buterin added that if core components like gas limit expansion are completed early, the entire Glamsterdam upgrade could be moved forward—potentially launching “before Glamsterdam” even becomes necessary.
Usability Improvements: Fixing User Friction
Alongside scalability, Ethereum is tackling long-standing usability issues.
One notable fix comes via EIP-7702, which addresses the "two-click problem" in wallet interactions—where users must first approve a token transfer before executing a trade or withdrawal. EIP-7702 allows this process to occur in a single transaction, improving UX across DeFi platforms.
While EIP-7702 will be included in the Pectra upgrade, widespread functionality depends on wallet support. Major wallets like MetaMask and Rabby are expected to roll out compatibility shortly after mainnet activation.
Another major initiative is long-term account abstraction (EIP-7701), currently under active design refinement. The goal is to deliver full smart account capabilities—such as batched transactions, social recovery, and paymasters—without compromising censorship resistance or increasing consensus-layer complexity.
Rollups Momentum: Based Rollups and Surge Projects
Layer 2 scaling continues to gain traction with innovative rollup architectures.
Based Rollups, which derive their security directly from Ethereum’s base layer through frequent on-chain commitments, are gaining attention for their simplicity and trust-minimized design. Projects like Taiko, an open-source ZK rollup, exemplify this trend by offering native-like Ethereum experiences with enhanced throughput.
Additionally, Nethermind’s Surge Rollup project aims to simplify rollup deployment for developers by providing modular tooling and infrastructure. These efforts contribute to a more diverse and resilient ecosystem where rollups can thrive without centralized dependencies.
👉 Explore how cutting-edge rollup technologies are redefining blockchain scalability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the Pectra upgrade?
A: Pectra is Ethereum’s upcoming hard fork combining the Prague (execution) and Electra (consensus) upgrades. It introduces account abstraction, higher blob limits, and increased staking flexibility to improve scalability and user experience.
Q: When is the Pectra upgrade happening?
A: The Pectra upgrade is tentatively scheduled for May 7, 2025, pending final testing and client readiness across the network.
Q: What does "Verkle Trees" mean for Ethereum?
A: Verkle Trees replace Merkle Trees to enable more efficient state proofs. This reduces node storage needs and speeds up synchronization, paving the way for higher scalability and lighter clients.
Q: Will Ethereum upgrades happen faster now?
A: Vitalik Buterin has indicated strong researcher consensus toward accelerating future upgrades. If components are ready earlier, releases like Glamsterdam could be advanced—suggesting a move toward more agile development cycles.
Q: How does EIP-7702 improve user experience?
A: EIP-7702 eliminates the need for separate approval transactions in DeFi interactions. Instead of two clicks (approve + execute), users can complete actions in one seamless step—once wallet support is live.
Q: Are rollups becoming more important for Ethereum?
A: Yes. Rollups are now central to Ethereum’s scaling strategy. With upgrades like Pectra enhancing blob capacity and projects like Based Rollups emerging, Layer 2 networks will continue driving adoption and lowering fees.
Final Outlook: A Faster, Smarter Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin’s recent comments reflect a maturing vision for Ethereum—one where technical progress aligns closely with real-world usability. With Pectra on the horizon and Fusaka and Glamsterdam in active development, the network is poised for deeper architectural improvements.
The push for faster hard forks suggests confidence in both developer tooling and community coordination. As Ethereum evolves from a foundational blockchain into a scalable world computer, upgrades will need to keep pace with demand.
From account abstraction to Verkle Trees and beyond, each step brings Ethereum closer to its vision: a decentralized, secure, and highly scalable platform for global applications.
👉 Stay ahead of the curve—see how Ethereum’s innovation cycle is accelerating in 2025.
Core Keywords: Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Pectra upgrade, account abstraction, Verkle Trees, gas limit, Layer 2 rollups, blockchain scalability