Alongside decentralization goals, Buterin argued for code reduction and a tighter scope. He warned that adding features for narrow needs can bloat the protocol and raise the barrier to participation.
He proposed a “garbage collection function” in the development process. The approach would create a mandate to delete outdated code and dependencies instead of layering new complexity indefinitely.
Glamsterdam, expected in Q2 or Q3 2026, is positioned to bring full Verkle Trees for stateless clients and lower hardware requirements. Hegota, planned for the second half of 2026, focuses on state and history expiry, which targets the growing cost of storing Ethereum data indefinitely.
Buterin also referenced Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists (FOCIL), which aim to enforce censorship resistance at the consensus level. He cited Block Access Lists as another effort intended to improve node performance and reduce costs tied to how nodes read and validate state.
Buterin also pointed to the Kohaku Wallet effort as a way to push research into defaults. The roadmap described Kohaku integrating verified RPC and native Account Abstraction, with mid-2026 milestones referenced in the materials.
Looking ahead, Buterin positioned 2026 as a consolidation year after feature-heavy upgrades in 2025, including Pectra and Fusaka. He also highlighted needs beyond upgrades, including decentralized stablecoin innovation and quantum-resistant cryptography, which he tied to Ethereum being secure for “a hundred years.”