Summary
- Researchers from the Ethereum Foundation are advocating for the inclusion of Frame Transactions and FOCIL in the Hegotá upgrade.
- These enhancements could allow privacy pools to autonomously cover their transaction fees, minimizing dependence on third-party services.
- Out of 66 proposals being evaluated for the 2027 upgrade, FOCIL is the only one confirmed so far.
Ethereum developers are exploring modifications that would enable privacy pools to handle their own transaction fees, thereby decreasing their reliance on third-party services that could compromise wallet activity.
In a message posted on X this Monday, Toni Wahrstätter, a researcher with the Ethereum Foundation, stated that the Protocol Architecture team aims to prioritize two proposals for the upcoming Hegotá upgrade, which is planned for 2027. These proposals include Frame Transactions (EIP-8141), designed to give wallets enhanced control over transaction execution, and Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists, also known as FOCIL (EIP-7805), which aims to make censorship of eligible transactions more difficult.
Myriad: What's Ethereum's next price move? Predict here.Wahrstätter explained, "Together with Frames, these allow privacy pools to pay fees on their own, eliminating the need for intermediaries. Adding FOCIL support also ensures that privacy transactions receive protocol-level inclusion guarantees."
Frame Transactions would utilize Keyed Nonces and Recent Roots (EIP-8272) to empower privacy pools to independently manage their transaction fees. Wahrstätter characterized frames as a "much more expressive transaction format" and a vital component for the future transaction experience on Ethereum.
The proposed package also encompasses Transaction Assertions (EIP-7906), enabling wallets to impose conditions on the actions a transaction can execute after submission.
Currently, FOCIL stands as the sole confirmed proposal for the Hegotá upgrade, while the Frame Transactions package is one of 66 proposals under review for the 2027 update.
Wahrstätter remarked, "A fork can't merely reflect a wishlist from the community or core developers about what Ethereum should ultimately become. Instead, we need to determine what Ethereum should evolve into next and what must be deferred."
These discussions arise as Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has been advocating for significant network changes, emphasizing the need for enhanced privacy, quantum-resistant security, and reduced dependence on layer-2 networks.
In February, Buterin outlined strategies to replace cryptographic methods vulnerable to quantum computing, while Ethereum researchers proposed a roadmap for improved transaction speeds, inherent privacy, and quantum-resistant security through 2029.
Earlier this month, Buterin stated that privacy and quantum resistance have become higher priorities for Ethereum, alongside the need to simplify and scale the network.
Other proposals being evaluated are centered on scaling issues, including adjustments to the way Ethereum prices transactions and manages state growth as the network's gas limit approaches 500 million to 600 million. Developers are also considering separating block-access-list data from the execution payload and piloting optional zkEVM proofs on the mainnet.
The Hegotá upgrade is set to follow Glamsterdam, which developers aim to complete by the end of 2026. Wahrstätter cautioned that developers "can’t do everything at once and still expect to ship on time."
“We are currently 256 days into Glamsterdam and plan to complete it by the end of this year,” Wahrstätter noted. “Hegotá is slated for 2027, making the upcoming decisions critically important.”