Fusaka: Ethereum’s Next Major Upgrade – What You Need to Know

• What Exactly Is the Fusaka Upgrade?
• Key Technical Improvements in Fusaka
• Testing Timeline and Expected Launch
• Looking Beyond Fusaka: Glamsterdam Already in Sight
• Regulatory Developments
• Frequently Asked Questions

Ethereum is gearing up for its next significant evolution with the Fusaka upgrade, scheduled for early November. This hard fork introduces 11 key improvements (EIPs) targeting scalability, security, and network efficiency while maintaining decentralization. From gas limit adjustments to enhanced protection against DDoS attacks, Fusaka represents another leap forward for the world's second-largest blockchain. Let's dive into what changes are coming and how they might impact ETH's ecosystem.

What Exactly Is the Fusaka Upgrade?

Hot on the heels of the Pectra hard fork earlier this year, Fusaka addresses more technical and structural challenges facing Ethereum. The upgrade includes 11 ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that collectively aim to enhance network performance during periods of heavy usage. One of the most anticipated changes is EIP-7825, which establishes a fixed gas limit per transaction to improve predictability when the network gets congested.

Source: CoinMarketCap

Key Technical Improvements in Fusaka

The upgrade brings several noteworthy technical enhancements:

• EIP-7934: Implements limits on RLP-encoded block sizes to reduce vulnerability to denial-of-service attacks
• EIP-7594: Introduces PeerDAS (Peer Data Availability Sampling) allowing nodes to verify data without downloading entire blocks
• Adjustments to block gas limits and validator requirements

Testing Timeline and Expected Launch

Two public testnets will run throughout September and October to validate all changes. If everything goes smoothly, the mainnet upgrade is scheduled to go live just before Devconnect (November 17-22 in Buenos Aires). In my experience watching previous Ethereum upgrades, having this testing period helps catch potential issues before they reach the main network.

Looking Beyond Fusaka: Glamsterdam Already in Sight

Even with Fusaka underway, Ethereum developers are already planning the next major upgrade – codenamed Glamsterdam and tentatively scheduled for 2026. Early discussions suggest potentially cutting block times from 12 to 6 seconds (which WOULD double network speed) and increasing total network gas limits to 45 million. Vitalik Buterin has mentioned that about half of validators have expressed support for these proposals.

Regulatory Developments

Behind the scenes, Ethereum continues making regulatory progress. Recent meetings between Ethereum Foundation representatives, the SEC, and industry players like chainlink Labs have focused on developing tokenization standards that satisfy legal requirements without stifling innovation. As someone who's followed crypto regulation for years, I see this as a positive sign for Ethereum's mainstream adoption.

For those holding ETH, these upgrades reinforce Ethereum's position as one of crypto's most robust infrastructures. While we can't predict price movements, the technical improvements should benefit developers and users alike.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the Fusaka upgrade happen?

The Fusaka hard fork is currently scheduled for early November 2024, with testnets running in September and October.

How many EIPs are included in Fusaka?

There are 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) being implemented in this upgrade.

Will Fusaka affect Ethereum's price?

While upgrades often generate market interest, this article does not constitute investment advice. Historically, major Ethereum upgrades have correlated with increased network activity.

What's the next upgrade after Fusaka?

Developers are already planning the Glamsterdam upgrade, tentatively scheduled for 2026 with potential block time reductions.