The Ethereum development team has confirmed 'Hegota' as the name for the network's second major upgrade in 2026, marking a significant milestone in the blockchain's roadmap. This comes after the announcement of 'Glamsterdam', which is anticipated to roll out in the first half of 2026. The 'Hegota' upgrade is slated for the second half of the year, reflecting a faster pace of protocol upgrades than previously maintained. This shift towards more frequent network changes is a response to criticism from the Ethereum community, which had argued that development was not keeping pace with the network's rapid growth.
While the full scope of 'Glamsterdam' is expected to be finalized in early January, speculation has begun on what 'Hegota' might include, with possible features being deferred from 'Glamsterdam'. Initial discussions have centered around Verkle Trees, a data structure designed to improve the efficiency of data storage and verification for Ethereum nodes, potentially reducing hardware requirements and enhancing decentralization.
The naming convention for 'Hegota' follows Ethereum's tradition, combining elements from a Devcon host city and a star name, in this case, derived from 'Bogota' and 'Heze'.