Ethereum’s next major hard fork, Fusaka, has successfully gone live on the Hoodi testnet. This marks the final testing phase before the upgrade is deployed on the main network, an event anticipated before the end of the year.

A Path to Mainnet Activation

The activation on Hoodi is the last of three testnet deployments, following successful runs on the Holesky and Sepolia networks earlier this month. The Ethereum Foundation has stated that the mainnet launch will occur at least 30 days after the Hoodi testing concludes, with core developers tentatively scheduling the hard fork for December 3.

Key Scalability and Security Improvements

The Fusaka upgrade is designed to introduce significant backend improvements to enhance the scalability, efficiency, and security of the Ethereum network. The update bundles at least a dozen Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), aiming to increase the block gas limit and expand “blob” data capacity.

A central feature is EIP-7594, which introduces Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS). This technique allows validators to verify data more efficiently by sampling small segments instead of downloading entire data blobs, a change expected to improve data availability for Ethereum’s Layer 2 ecosystem.

To ensure a secure transition, the Ethereum Foundation launched a four-week audit contest last month, offering up to $2 million in rewards for researchers who identify potential bugs before the hard fork is implemented on the mainnet.

Fusaka follows the Pectra upgrade, which took place approximately six months ago. Looking ahead, Ethereum researchers have already begun discussing the roadmap for the next major protocol update, codenamed Glamsterdam, which will target faster block times and further scalability enhancements.