Weekly Ethereum Research Report (2026-03-16 ~ 2026-03-20)
TL;DR
- Bottom line: Vitalik's official endorsement of DAP, FCR implementations across 6 CL clients, the Glamsterdam devnet transition gap, and Lido Earn First-Loss going live simultaneously reshaped the consensus architecture and validator-operations risk framework.
- Numbers: Forkcast status changes have remained at 0 for 30 consecutive days since 2/18, and the only resolution point is ACDE #233 on 3/26, which will cover movement of 20 Glamsterdam Considered items and the AA headliner decision.
- Action: Operators and researchers should prioritize tracking the redefinition of the FCR 'safe' tag at RPC #023 on 3/23, ACDE #233 on 3/26, and the stVaults 0% fee deadline on 3/31.
Top 3 Takeaways
Vitalik officially endorsed Dynamically Available Protocol(DAP) and declared the "Lean Ethereum" vision — a fundamental redesign of Ethereum's consensus architecture, including CL/EL single-daemon integration, ~256-member committee consensus, and 12-second irreversibility(FCR), has entered the official path.
자세히 읽기
Vitalik gave an "Excellent" assessment to Luca Zanolini's proposed DAP(Heartbeat subcommittee + Finality Gadget full validators), declaring it the "only major chain with both synchronous safety and economic finality." At the same time, Fast Confirmation Rule(FCR) guarantees non-revertibility in 1 slot(12 seconds), offering a direct answer to the Rational Finality Stall problem(~4.61 ETH bribe cost based on Lido's 21% stake). All 6 CL clients have started FCR implementation, and redefinition of the 'safe' block tag will be discussed at RPC #23(3/23).
EIP upgrade-inclusion status has been unchanged for 30 consecutive days, setting the longest record to date — ACDE #233(3/26) is the only resolution point, while EIP-8134/EIP-8135 BPO1/BPO2 were promoted to Last Call and blob parameter expansion is moving toward Final in early April.
자세히 읽기
Forkcast has seen 0 status changes for the 30th day since 2/18. ACDE #232(3/12) call notes remain unpublished by D+8, and ACDC #176 also has no posted results, deepening the backlog in information transparency. Meanwhile, EIP-8134(BPO1: blob target 6→10, max 9→15) and EIP-8135(BPO2: target 14, max 21) were promoted from Review to Last Call, with a Final transition expected after ~14 days of final review. ACDE #233(3/26) is expected to deliver mass movement of 20 Glamsterdam Considered items and the final AA headliner decision.
Lido put Earn $5M First-Loss Protection live, received the third stVault Professional application(Nuxian Labs), and is fundamentally reshaping community-staking economics through the IDVTC(Identified DVT Clusters) for CSM v3 proposal.
자세히 읽기
By allocating $5M from the DAO treasury as first-loss coverage against user losses in extreme scenarios, Lido structurally strengthened institutional trust. After SenseiNode(D+10) and Luganodes(16 days), Switzerland-based Nuxian Labs($20M AUM, 15+ networks) applied as the third Professional Operator. In addition, the Lido IDVTC proposal formalizes a path for CSM validators to participate in DVT clusters, likely fundamentally reshaping CSM economics based on 2.5 ETH+ bonds. The CSM slashing incident still has no disclosed cause by D+8, continuing a departure from transparency standards.
1. Roadmap/Upgrade Change Highlights
The Merge Track — Fundamental Redesign of Consensus Architecture
| Item | Status | This Week's Change |
|---|---|---|
| CL/EL single daemon | Research | Vitalik proposal — toward removing Engine API. Fundamental reconsideration of the 2-daemon structure |
| Dynamic Available Protocol (DAP) | Research → official path | Vitalik "Excellent" assessment + official integration into the Lean Ethereum vision |
| Fast Confirmation Rule (FCR) | Implementation in progress | All 6 CL clients started implementation. Lodestar 95% test coverage. 'safe' tag linkage at RPC #23 on 3/23 |
| Rational Finality Stall | Research warning | Pre-finality settlement attack detected. ~4.61 ETH bribe cost based on Lido 21% |
Glamsterdam (devnet transition in progress)
| Item | Status | This Week's Change |
|---|---|---|
| EIP-7732 (ePBS) | Scheduled | epbs-devnet-1 appears on the ACDT #75(3/23) agenda (first time after a 95-day gap) |
| EIP-7928 (BAL) | Scheduled | fee recipient contradiction resolved + 3 co-authors added(Felipe, Rahul, Stefan). bal-devnet-3/4 in progress |
| EIP-8037 (State Creation Gas) | Considered | "gas validation phases" proposal at Repricings #4 + Erigon feedback |
| EIP-8178 (SSZ Engine API) | Registered | SSZ Engine API + JWT standardization discussion (ACDC #176) |
| devnet-0→devnet-1 | Transition preparation | ACDC #176: gap identified. EIP-4788 system contract conflict found. Variable PTC deadline deferred to a later devnet |
| 20 Considered items | Unchanged for 30 days | Resolution expected at ACDE #233(3/26) |
Hegota (FOCIL + AA + encrypted mempool design branch)
| Item | Status | This Week's Change |
|---|---|---|
| EIP-7805 (FOCIL) | Scheduled | FOCIL x Native AA 3-tier IL validation design(Thomas Thiery). 100K/TX, 250K/IL gas cap |
| EIP-8141 (Frame Transaction) | Waiting for CFI | Confirmation remains deferred because ACDE #232 call notes are unpublished |
| EIP-8184 (LUCID) | Newly registered | Commit-before-reveal MEV protection. Hegota Declined status, but spec maturity is high |
| Encrypted Frame Tx | Research | Thomas Thiery proposal — alternative for optional MEV parameter encryption |
| EIP-8197 (CATX) | Newly registered | Crypto-agility transaction — replace signatures during PQ migration without changing TX semantics |
Fusaka / PQ (BPO Last Call + PQ privacy expansion)
| Item | Status | This Week's Change |
|---|---|---|
| Fusaka Included | 13 items maintained | No change |
| EIP-8134/EIP-8135 BPO1/BPO2 | Promoted to Last Call | blob target 6→10→14, max 9→15→21. Final transition expected around early April |
| EIP-8182 X-Wing | PQ baseline | ML-KEM + X25519 hybrid confirmed. delivery-key registry added |
| Falcon signature aggregation | Research | PQ signature size 10~20x ECDSA → EL mempool limits need adjustment |
| PQ → privacy threat | New axis | EF official analysis: PQ transition scope expands from signatures to privacy(ring signatures, ZK proofs) |
The Verge Track — Long-Term State Tree Transition
| Item | Status | This Week's Change |
|---|---|---|
| Binary Trie | Research series started | Optimal group depth study #1 released. Verkle→Binary Trie transition path made concrete |
2. EIP Status Changes (Forkcast Monday 3/16 vs Friday 3/20)
Summary of Upgrade-Inclusion Status Changes
| Change Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Official stage changes | 0 |
| Substantive progress (not reflected in Forkcast) | 4 — EIP-8184 LUCID registration, EIP-8197 CATX registration, EIP-8134/EIP-8135 BPO Last Call promotion, EIP-7928 co-author expansion |
30 consecutive days without Forkcast changes (longest record to date since 2/18). ACDE #232(3/12) call notes unpublished by D+8 + ACDC #176 results not posted. Next possible change point: ACDE #233(3/26).
Status by Upgrade (as of 3/20)
| Upgrade | Scheduled | Considered | Included | Declined | Withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glamsterdam | 2 (7732, 7928) | 20 | - | 33 | 4 |
| Hegota | 1 (7805) | 0 | - | 2 (7807, 8184) | 1 (8105) |
| Fusaka | - | - | 13 | - | - |
| Pectra | - | - | 12 (completed) | - | - |
119 total items tracked. No Friday-vs-Monday change.
3. Major Validator/Infrastructure Issues
Direct Impact on Validator Operations
| Priority | Item | Details | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent | Lido Earn $5M First-Loss | DAO treasury senior-loss mechanism is live. Structural strengthening of institutional trust | 3/20 |
| Urgent | CSM slashing cause undisclosed | D+8 elapsed. 6 validators, <1 ETH loss. Complete departure from transparency standards | D+8 |
| Urgent | stVaults 0% fee deadline | D-11 (3/31 deadline). Fee-system transition decision is imminent | In progress |
| Medium-term | IDVTC for CSM v3 | Lido DVT cluster for CSM proposal. Fundamental reshaping of CSM economics (2.5 ETH+ bond) | 3/17 proposal |
| Medium-term | 3 stVault Professional cases | SenseiNode, Luganodes, Nuxian Labs(new) — operator ecosystem diversification | In progress |
| Medium-term | Lido Feb financial update | 2025 total revenue $84.7M(YoY -18%). DAO Take Rate 6.10%(+23%). Automatic buyback Q2(ETH >$3,000) | 3/17 |
| Medium-term | Launchnodes DC postmortem | 2/14 5,572 validators offline for ~3h15m. 3.836 ETH loss. Reconfirmed necessity of multi-DC strategy | 3/18 |
| Long-term | CL/EL single-daemon integration | Vitalik proposal. Could structurally weaken professional operators' "infrastructure complexity" differentiation moat | 2~5 years |
| Long-term | DAP + FCR | Consensus-structure redesign + 12-second irreversibility. L2/bridge settlement paradigm shift | Research stage |
Infrastructure Monitoring Status
| Item | Status | This Week's Change |
|---|---|---|
| ePBS devnet-0→1 | Transition preparation | epbs-devnet-1 appears on the ACDT #75(3/23) agenda for the first time in 95 days |
| BAL devnet-3/4 | In progress | co-author expansion + fee recipient contradiction resolved |
| Glamsterdam devnet-0→1 | Gap identified | EIP-4788 system contract conflict found. Variable PTC deadline deferred to later |
| snap/2 BAL state healing | Draft registered | EIP-8189 message ID redefinition completed |
| FCR implementation | All 6 CL clients started | Lodestar 95% test coverage. 'safe' tag redefinition discussion on 3/23 |
| PQ RLPx | Exploration | Proposal for unsigned handshake design |
| Binary SSZ Engine API | Benchmark | JWT standardization discussed at ACDC #176 |
| GOOSE-2025 | Final report | 700+ NO, 412 CSM participants. DAO Take Rate 6.10% |
4. Key Protocol Call Decisions
7 calls held this week (all official notes unpublished — based on GitHub issues, agendas, and livestreams):
| Date | Call | Number | Key Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/16 (Mon) | ACDT | #074 | SFI process tension — devnet inclusion ≠ automatic SFI transition. ePBS PTC lookahead PR submitted. BAL I/O benchmarking |
| 3/17 (Tue) | FCR | #005 | All 6 CL clients implementing. Lodestar 95% tests. Fork Choice independence confirmed. Performance metric standardization proposed(M. Kalinin) |
| 3/18 (Tue) | ETM | #002 | Full EIP-8184 LUCID spec released. Encrypted mempool demo stack discussed |
| 3/18 (Tue) | PQTS | #004 | Ephemeral Key Rotation vs Frame Transaction PQ path comparison. Testnet-stage agreement |
| 3/18 (Tue) | Repricings | #004 | New EIP-8037 Gas Validation Phases proposal(PR #11414). Erigon feedback incorporated |
| 3/19 (Thu) | ACDC | #176 | Glamsterdam devnet-0→1 gap identified. EIP-4788 conflict found. Variable PTC deadline deferred to later. SSZ Engine API + JWT standardization |
| 3/19 (Thu) | ERC-8004 | Launch Day | ERC-8004 spec metric standardization |
Major Technical Decisions in Detail
1. ACDC #176 — Glamsterdam devnet transition and CL implementation:
- Gap identified in devnet-0→devnet-1 transition requirements: EIP-4788 system contract conflict emerged as an unexpected blocker
- Variable PTC deadline deferred to a later devnet as a practical decision
- Discussion of strengthening EL/CL interoperability through SSZ Engine API + JWT standardization
2. FCR #005 — accelerating 12-second irreversibility implementation:
- Confirmed implementation progress across all CL clients(Lighthouse, Teku, Nimbus, Prysm, Lodestar, Grandine)
- Balance source finalized as previous-epoch justified checkpoint
- RPC #23 on 3/23 scheduled to discuss redefining the 'safe' block tag from ~6.4 minutes → 12 seconds(1 slot)
3. ACDT #074 — SFI process governance tension:
- ACDC pushed back against a request to batch-transition 9 EIPs included in bal-devnet-3 to SFI
- Reconfirmed the principle that "devnet inclusion ≠ automatic SFI transition" — explicit ACD decision required
- Ongoing tension between process transparency and development speed
4. Encrypted mempool 3-path branch:
- Full spec completed for EIP-8184 LUCID (commit-before-reveal)
- Encrypted Frame Transactions (optional parameter encryption) proposed by Thomas Thiery
- PQ-compatible Falcon aggregation + X-Wing-based encryption → agreement that all 3 paths proceed to testnet stage
5. Key Schedule for Next Week
| Date | Event | Core Agenda |
|---|---|---|
| 3/23 (Mon) | ACDT #075 | First epbs-devnet-1 progress after a 95-day gap + bal-devnet-3/4 review |
| 3/23 (Mon) | RPC #023 | FCR 'safe' block tag redefinition(~6.4 minutes → 12 seconds). Core impact on L2/bridges |
| 3/24 (Tue) | FOCIL #031 (expected) | Follow-up to FOCIL x Native AA 3-tier IL validation. Hybrid strategy concretization |
| 3/24 (Tue) | PQ Interop (expected) | X-Wing + Falcon testnet progress. Discussion of response to PQ privacy threats |
| 3/26 (Thu) | ACDE #233 | 🔴 Biggest watchpoint. Expected resolution of 30-day EIP freeze. Mass movement of 20 Glamsterdam Considered items + final AA headliner decision + Hegota scope confirmation |
| 3/31 (Mon) | stVaults 0% fee deadline | Deadline for operator fee-system transition decision |
| ~early April | EIP-8134/EIP-8135 Final | BPO1/BPO2 Last Call → expected Final transition. Confirmation of blob parameter expansion |
| TBD | ACDE #232 call notes release | D+8 elapsed. Confirm EIP-8141 headliner decision + gas repricing decisions |
Biggest watchpoint for next week: ACDE #233(3/26) is the only resolution point for the 30-day consecutive EIP freeze. Mass movement of 20 Glamsterdam Considered items to Scheduled/Declined, the final AA headliner decision(EIP-8130 vs EIP-8141 vs EIP-8175), and confirmation of the Hegota scope are expected to be handled together. At ACDT #075 on 3/23, epbs-devnet-1 will officially start for the first time in 95 days, and RPC #023 will discuss redefining the FCR 'safe' block tag, directly affecting L2/bridge settlement timing. The stVaults 0% fee deadline(3/31) is pressing at D-11, making an operator fee-transition decision imminent.
Weekly Key Metrics
| Metric | Last Week (3/13) | This Week (3/20) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glamsterdam Scheduled | 2 items | 2 items | - |
| Glamsterdam Considered | 20 items | 20 items | - (unchanged for 30 days) |
| Hegota Scheduled | 1 item | 1 item | - |
| Hegota Declined | - | 2 items (7807, 8184) | +2 items |
| AA headliner competition | 3-way race (8130/8141/8175) | 3-way race maintained | Confirmation deferred because call notes are unpublished |
| Fusaka Included | 13 items | 13 items | - |
| Weekly protocol calls | 6 | 7 | ACDT#74, FCR#5, ETM#2, PQTS#4, Repricings#4, ACDC#176, ERC-8004 |
| Forkcast status changes | 0 (23 days) | 0 (30 days) | 7 additional days of freeze (longest ever) |
| Lido operator changes | 3 | 2 | IDVTC proposal, Nuxian Labs Professional application |
| Lido Earn | Launched | $5M First-Loss live | Institutional risk framework added |
| PQ track | devnet-5 signature decision | X-Wing confirmed + PQ privacy threat analysis | Scope expansion(signatures→privacy) |
| Consensus architecture | - | DAP official endorsement + FCR implementation across 6 CL clients | Fundamental redesign enters official path |
| New EIP registrations | 4 | 3 | EIP-8184, EIP-8196, EIP-8197 |
| BPO Last Call | - | EIP-8134/EIP-8135 promoted to Last Call | blob parameter expansion Final in early April |
Written by: @r2jamong
Data sources: ethereum/pm, EIP Upgrade Snapshot, Ethereum Magicians, ethresear.ch, research.lido.fi