What the Fusaka Upgrade Changes

The Fusaka upgrade introduces key technical improvements centered on data management, specifically through sampling and history expiry. These changes reduce the amount of data that network nodes need to download and store, making it significantly easier and faster for new nodes to sync with the blockchain.

However, this efficiency comes with trade-offs. As the network increases its data capacity through higher “blob” counts, well-equipped validators and infrastructure providers will face greater upload bandwidth demands. If not managed carefully, this could gradually centralize the network by favoring larger, more capitalized operators.

Impact Across the Ethereum Ecosystem

For institutions and major staking providers, Fusaka is more than a simple speed boost—it’s a strategic enabler. The upgrade delivers more predictable data throughput, safer limits on gas and block sizes, and cleaner history management. These features make it much easier to plan and manage large-scale validator operations.

The effect on ETH holders is also direct. Fusaka refines Ethereum’s base layer into a high-capacity settlement and data engine for Layer 2 solutions. By adjusting fee minimums and blob pricing, the protocol encourages more activity to settle on Ethereum, which in turn can influence transaction fee markets and validator rewards based on network demand. The protocol does grow more complex, and a stronger focus on monetization could attract criticism if users don’t see clear benefits in cost and experience.

After Fusaka: The Road to Glamsterdam

With the Fusaka upgrade activated on December 3 at slot 13,164,544, the community is already looking ahead. The next major named upgrade, Glamsterdam, is expected to arrive in 2026 and will introduce at least two headline features: enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) and block-level access lists (BALs).

The ePBS initiative aims to strengthen the supply chain for maximal extractable value (MEV) by formally separating the roles of block building and proposing at the protocol level, reducing reliance on external relays. Meanwhile, BALs are designed to create more efficient transaction execution and better state access management, which is crucial for handling future increases in data capacity.

When viewed alongside parallel efforts like PeerDAS and other peer-to-peer network tweaks, Fusaka marks a turning point. It signals a shift in Ethereum’s roadmap toward a coherent and value-driven scaling program. The ultimate goal is to build a modular stack capable of supporting 100,000 transactions per second without compromising the decentralization that made the network valuable in the first place.