Ethereum Foundation Drafts Seven-Fork ‘Strawmap’ Through 2029
Decrypt
by Vismaya VFebruary 26, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Ethereum Foundation researchers have unveiled a draft roadmap, titled "Strawmap," outlining seven network upgrades through 2029, with plans for a major fork approximately every six months. This ambitious roadmap aims to enhance Ethereum's efficiency and security, focusing on faster finality (measured in seconds), native privacy features, and quantum-resistant cryptography. The initiative also targets increased transaction throughput, positioning Ethereum for scalable and robust growth over the next four years.
The plan introduces significant upgrades, including a shift from the current Gasper consensus mechanism to a one-round BFT algorithm called Minimmit. This change is expected to drastically reduce finality times—from the current 16 minutes to potentially single-digit seconds—while ensuring faster block times and improved network efficiency. Additionally, the roadmap emphasizes privacy-preserving ETH transfers and the adoption of post-quantum hash-based signatures, which will make Ethereum's cryptographic protocols resistant to quantum computing threats.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin highlighted the importance of this incremental approach, noting that while slot-level quantum resistance may arrive sooner than finality-level resistance, it ensures the network remains operational even in the event of a quantum breakthrough. The "Strawmap" also encourages a holistic view of Ethereum's evolution, addressing dependencies across its consensus, data, and execution layers to ensure seamless upgrades.
This roadmap is particularly significant for crypto enthusiasts as it positions Ethereum to overcome current limitations, such as slow finality and scalability constraints, while preparing for future challenges like quantum computing. By prioritizing privacy, speed, and security, the initiative aims to solidify Ethereum's position as a leading blockchain platform and foster greater adoption across Web3 applications.
The "Strawmap" reflects Ethereum's commitment to innovation and proactive development, offering a transparent and collaborative approach to its next four years. As researchers work toward these upgrades,
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Originally published on Decrypt on 2/26/2026