Ethereum is preparing for major network upgrades in 2026 that could transform how the blockchain works. According to recent developer roadmap updates shared in late 2025, Ethereum is planning two major protocol upgrades in 2026, the Glamsterdam fork and the Heze-Bogota fork.
These upgrades target faster transactions, stronger privacy, and better decentralization, helping the ETH token price rally ahead.
One of the key upgrades expected in 2026 is the Glamsterdam fork, which focuses on performance. This upgrade introduces parallel transaction processing, enabling Ethereum to handle multiple tasks simultaneously instead of processing them one by one.
Along with this, Ethereum’s gas limit is expected to rise sharply to 200 million, up from the current 60 million. This would allow far more transactions to fit into each block, reducing congestion during busy periods.
Another important change is how validators operate. Instead of validating full transaction data, validators will move toward checking zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs. This reduces workload while keeping the network secure.
With these improvements combined, Ethereum’s main network could eventually reach up to 10,000 transactions per second, a major jump from today’s levels.
Alongside Glamsterdam upgrades, which focus on speed, Ethereum is also addressing concerns around privacy and decentralization. The planned Heze-Bogota fork will concentrate on strengthening user privacy and improving censorship resistance.
This upgrade aims to reduce reliance on centralized infrastructure and make it harder for any single party to block transactions.
Developers see this as a key step toward keeping Ethereum open, neutral, and permissionless as global adoption grows.
Ethereum already powers much of today’s DeFi, NFT, and stablecoin activity, but high fees and overcrowding remain challenging. The 2026 upgrades aim to fix these issues at the base layer.
By combining higher speed, ZK-based validation, and stronger decentralization, Ethereum is positioning itself for long-term growth. If successful, these upgrades could help Ethereum remain competitive while staying true to its core values of openness and security.
On-chain data shows more ETH moving onto exchanges in December, with reserves rising from about 16.2 million to nearly 16.6 million ETH. This means around 400,000 ETH has been added to exchange balances, increasing short-term supply
At the same time, Ethereum network activity has jumped sharply. Active addresses nearly doubled in just one week, rising from around 496,000 to 800,000, showing growing user participation.
Looking at the Ethereum price, ETH is trading just below $2,955 with a market cap hitting $356.7billion. However, the ETH price has stabilized after dipping toward $2,850 but remains in a corrective phase.
Looking ahead, traders believe that if market conditions improve, ETH could attempt a recovery toward the $3,390 zone.
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