Ethereum Researchers Map Seven Hard Forks to Reach Lean Ethereum by 2029

Ethereum Foundation researchers, including co-founder Vitalik Buterin, have mapped out a sequence of approximately seven hard forks to transition the network to Lean Ethereum by the end of 2029. Serving as the protocol's third major evolution after its launch and the 2022 Merge, the plan overhauls consensus, execution, and data layers while maintaining full backward compatibility for decentralized applications. Key features include quantum-resistant hash-based signatures, recursive STARK proofs, and a two-tier state model projected to reduce fees by over 10x on its scalable tier. Initial forks Glamsterdam and Hegotá are slated for late 2026 or early 2027.