Ethereum developers are currently working to narrow a list of 66 proposals in the scope-setting phase of the upcoming Hegotá upgrade, as a step aimed at deciding what can actually be included in the network’s next major update. This process comes as some privacy-related proposals are at the center of technical debates within the development community.
So far, FOCIL is the only proposal among this group that has been officially scheduled for inclusion in the upgrade. The other proposals being researched include Frame Transactions, known as EIP-8141; Keyed Nonces or EIP-8250; and Recent Roots for Frame Transactions or EIP-8272.
According to what Ethereum contributor Toni Wahrstätter explained in a post on the X platform, these proposals may help “unlock native privacy,” so privacy applications can operate without needing to rely on intermediaries. In practical terms, this means some applications could receive protocol-level tools directly within the network instead of building solutions on top of external layers.
What does FOCIL offer?
FOCIL stands for Fork-choice enforced inclusion lists. It is a proposal intended to enable a committee of validators to enforce the inclusion of pending transactions inside blocks, which strengthens the network’s resistance to censorship. As for the other proposals under discussion, they focus on providing technical building blocks that can serve privacy applications at the protocol level.
Why is the number of proposals being reduced?
Reducing the list from 66 proposals does not necessarily mean excluding ideas. Rather, it aims to select what can be implemented within the scope of the Hegotá upgrade itself. This kind of sorting helps developers align priorities, reduce fragmentation, and give building teams a clearer view of what will become part of the network in the next phase.
And if some proposals do not make it into Hegotá, there is a chance they will be revisited in a later upgrade. In this sense, the reduction process does not close the door on deferred ideas—it organizes them based on readiness and technical priority.
Overall timeline
Ethereum developers aim to launch Hegotá over the next year. In addition, upcoming core developer meetings will play an important role in shaping a large part of Ethereum’s development roadmap through 2027.
At the same time, the team is first preparing to roll out the Glamsterdam upgrade, one of the most anticipated updates expected this year. According to Ethereum’s general roadmap, it is expected to reach the mainnet in the second half of 2026, with a focus on improving scalability, strengthening the resilience of the first layer, and making network usage easier.
Practically, this phased sequencing could reduce technical risks by dividing the work into clearer stages, rather than trying to introduce a large number of changes at once. It also gives application developers that rely on privacy a better opportunity to plan ahead for upcoming protocol integrations.