Ethereum's 2026 Roadmap: Pectra Ships, Glamsterdam Targets ePBS, and Post-Quantum Prep Int
Ethereum's Pectra upgrade delivers smart-account UX via EIP-7702, while Glamsterdam enshrines PBS and block-level access lists. The EF restructures, cutting 20% of staff, and a dedicated post-quantum team eyes EIP-8141 for native account abstraction.
Ethereum’s 2026 plan is making progress in several areas. These include wallet use, block building, and quantum computer safety. The Pectra update added EIP-7702. This lets regular wallets act like smart accounts[^claim_503]. Users can batch actions, sponsor gas, use session keys, and recover accounts. They do not need to move to a new wallet. This makes it easier for new users to join. It also allows more complex DeFi actions without changing wallet setup.
Gas fees are very low now. On May 5, 2026, standard gas was about 0.15 gwei[^claim_504]. The daily average through April was near 0.5 gwei. A basic ETH transfer costs less than one cent. Low fees make L1 use cheaper. But they also cut validator earnings. This makes enshrined PBS more important for steady block production.
Glamsterdam, set for late 2026, fixes this. The update includes enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists[^claim_505]. ePBS lets validators safely hand off block building. They do not need to trust outside software[^claim_506]. This helps L1 grow by separating block agreement from processing. At a recent meeting, teams agreed on a post-Glamsterdam gas limit floor of 200M. They had stable ePBS running with outside builders. They also locked in final EIP-8037 pricing numbers[^claim_507]. This means the core MEV-aware setup is almost ready for use.
The Ethereum Foundation is also getting smaller. The EF announced a new five-cluster structure[^claim_501]. It covers protocol, access, user, community, and institutional layers. It also includes operations and management support. 54 people — about 20% of the EF — will leave[^claim_502]. They will keep working on Ethereum outside the group. This change likely speeds up decisions on roadmap items by focusing the group’s work.
On safety, the EF started a Post-Quantum Security team in January 2026[^claim_508]. A key part of the plan is EIP-8141. It adds native account abstraction. This lets each account choose its own signature check[^claim_508]. This is timely. Google Quantum AI published a March 2026 estimate. Breaking 256-bit elliptic curve cryptography could need about 1,200 logical qubits[^claim_509]. That is about 20 times fewer than earlier guesses. The threat is closer than before. Ethereum’s method lets wallets use quantum-safe signatures without a network-wide move.
On rules, the U.S. House passed a housing bill by 358-32. It bans central bank digital currencies until 2030[^claim_510]. For crypto builders, this removes the near-term threat of a government digital dollar. It keeps stablecoins safe. This preserves the path for decentralized payment systems.
Bottom line: Ethereum is working on many roadmap tracks at once. Pectra improves user experience. Glamsterdam adds MEV-aware block production. The post-quantum push gives wallets a way to move. The EF restructuring and low fees create both chances and pressure for L1 use. Watch for Glamsterdam testnet launches and EIP-8141 progress as the next big steps.
Provenance ledger
10 claims web-citedEvery claim below cites a source URL, and each URL was checked for validity before publish. The excerpt shown is the researcher's own summary of the page — it is not re-derived from the source, so it is not a verified verbatim quote. Follow the link to confirm any claim against the original. Citation markers in the text jump here.
[1] Ethereum Foundation announced a new five-cluster organizational structure covering protocol layer, access layer, user layer, community layer, and institutional layer, plus operations and management support. web-cited
The EF now has five clusters with different domains of work – protocol layer, access layer, user layer, community layer, and institutional layer – as well as a cluster focused on operations and one comprising management and teams directly supporting management work.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[2] Ethereum Foundation said 54 colleagues, roughly 20% of the EF, will be leaving as part of the restructuring. web-cited
The Ethereum Foundation has undergone a reorganization resulting in a leaner structure with five clusters focusing on different domains of work. 54 colleagues, roughly 20% of the EF, will be leaving but will continue contributing to Ethereum outside the organization.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[3] Ethereum.org says the Pectra upgrade shipped EIP-7702, enabling regular wallets to use smart-account behavior including batching, gas sponsorship, session keys, recovery flows, and passkey-friendly UX without migrating to a new account. web-cited
Pectra also shipped EIP-7702, which gives regular wallets access to smart-account behavior like batching, gas sponsorship, session keys, recovery flows, and passkey-friendly UX, without making the user migrate to a new account.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[4] Ethereum.org reports standard gas around 0.15 gwei as of May 5, 2026, with daily averages near 0.5 gwei through April, and says a basic ETH transfer costs under a cent at that level. web-cited
As of May 5, 2026, Etherscan's gas tracker shows standard gas around 0.15 gwei, with daily averages near 0.5 gwei through April. A basic ETH transfer costs under a cent at that level.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[5] Ethereum.org's roadmap says Glamsterdam in H2 2026 will include enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists. web-cited
## Glamsterdam H2 2026 Main features Enshrined proposer-builder separation ... Block-level access lists ... Introduces mandatory access lists at the block level.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[6] Ethereum.org says enshrined proposer-builder separation lets validators safely outsource block assembly without trusting external software, which is intended to help L1 scale. web-cited
Separates block agreement from processing, helping L1 scale by allowing validators to process more data ... Natively integrates builders so validators can safely outsource block assembly without trusting external software.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[7] A recent Ethereum Foundation interop recap said participants reached a post-Glamsterdam gas limit floor of 200M and had stable ePBS implementations running with external builders. web-cited
By Friday, the group had delivered on its three core goals: alignment on a post-Glamsterdam gas limit floor of 200M, stable ePBS implementations running with external builders, and final EIP-8037 repricing numbers locked in.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[8] Ethereum.org says the Foundation formed a dedicated Post-Quantum Security team in January 2026 and is considering EIP-8141 for Hegotá to let accounts choose their own signature verification. web-cited
The Ethereum Foundation formed a dedicated Post-Quantum Security team in January 2026 ... A key part of the transition strategy is EIP-8141, which introduces native account abstraction. This allows individual accounts to choose their own signature verification.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[9] Ethereum.org says Google Quantum AI published a March 2026 estimate that breaking 256-bit elliptic curve cryptography could require roughly 1,200 logical qubits, about 20 times fewer than earlier estimates. web-cited
In March 2026, Google Quantum AI published a paper estimating that breaking 256-bit elliptic curve cryptography ... could require roughly 1,200 logical qubits, about 20 times fewer than earlier estimates.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
[10] Cointelegraph reported the U.S. House passed a housing affordability bill by 358-32 that includes a ban on central bank digital currencies until 2030. web-cited
The US House voted 358-32 on Tuesday to pass a housing affordability bill that includes a ban on central bank digital currencies until 2030.
This excerpt was not re-derived from the source page, and may paraphrase or condense it. Check the source before relying on it.
Sources
- https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/06/23/ef-structure
- https://flash.decrypt.co/en
- https://ethereum.org/latest/building-on-ethereum-in-2026/
- https://ethereum.org/roadmap/
- https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/05/02/soldogn-interop-recap
- https://ethereum.org/roadmap/future-proofing/
- https://cointelegraph.com/news/what-happened-in-crypto-today