Ethereum’s ‘Hegota’ Upgrade Scheduled for Late 2026 as Developers Accelerate Roadmap
By Margaux Nijkerk | Edited by Nikhilesh De
Dec 28, 2025, 3:00 p.m.
Ethereum developers have announced plans for the network’s second major upgrade in 2026, officially named “Hegota.” This significant milestone follows the upcoming “Glamsterdam” upgrade, which is slated for the first half of 2026. The scheduling of Hegota for the latter part of the year reflects a strategic acceleration in Ethereum’s upgrade cadence, with developers aiming to deliver protocol enhancements more frequently than in the past.
Hegota to Follow Glamsterdam in Ethereum’s Fast-Tracked Upgrade Schedule
Earlier this month, Ethereum core contributors confirmed the name and tentative timeline for the Hegota upgrade. It will follow the Glamsterdam upgrade, which remains on track for rollout in early 2026. This pace contrasts with Ethereum’s historical pattern of bundling numerous improvements into annual releases, signaling a shift toward more regular, incremental updates.
The Ethereum Foundation highlighted this new approach in a recent blog post, noting that it comes in response to community feedback. Earlier in 2025, parts of the Ethereum ecosystem voiced concerns over the pace of protocol development, pointing out that it did not keep up with the network’s rapid growth and increasing user demands. By adopting a faster upgrade cycle, developers hope to address these concerns and better support ongoing innovation.
What to Expect from the Hegota Upgrade
Developers are set to finalize the scope of the Glamsterdam upgrade at a January meeting. Consequently, major Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) for Hegota are unlikely to be announced before February 2026. Nevertheless, early discussions give insight into possible features that may be included in Hegota.
One prominent topic of interest is the implementation of Verkle Trees — a novel data structure designed to enhance Ethereum nodes’ ability to efficiently store and verify vast amounts of data. If adopted, Verkle Trees could substantially reduce the hardware requirements for running Ethereum nodes, promoting greater decentralization by enabling more participants to operate nodes with less technical burden.
Hegota may also incorporate deferred work from Glamsterdam. In previous upgrades, EIPs that did not make the cut due to time constraints or complexity were typically carried over to subsequent upgrades. Developers expect this dynamic to hold true this time as well.
The Significance of the Name “Hegota”
Following Ethereum’s tradition, the upgrade name “Hegota” is a combination that pays homage to Devcon host cities and star names. The name blends “Bogota,” referencing the execution layer upgrade, with “Heze,” the consensus layer upgrade. This nomenclature reflects the upgrade’s comprehensive impact across different layers of the Ethereum blockchain.
The Ethereum Foundation commented, “Fusaka shipped PeerDAS along with a myriad of minor features, and Glamsterdam’s major upgrades will include Block-level Access Lists and enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation. Now we begin outlining the subsequent upgrade: Hegota,” underscoring the continual evolution of the protocol.
Looking Ahead
Ethereum’s shift towards more frequent upgrades exemplifies its commitment to adaptability amid expanding network usage and complex technical challenges. As the community awaits further details around Glamsterdam, attention is already turning to the innovations that Hegota may bring to the world’s leading smart contract platform by late 2026. —
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