Ethereum Foundation Unveils 2029 Roadmap Targeting Eight-Second Transaction Finality

Ethereum researchers have proposed a draft technology roadmap known as the Strawmap to guide protocol upgrades through 2029. The plan focuses on increasing transaction speed and throughput, deepening integration between the mainnet and Layer 2 networks, and adding built-in privacy and quantum-resistant security. Its goal is to turn Ethereum into a high-performance global “internet of value.”

The latest draft uses 2029 as its main target and calls for parallel progress in base-layer scaling, Layer 2 interoperability, privacy protection and quantum-resistant cryptography. The Strawmap remains an initial proposal from researchers, not a formal Ethereum Foundation commitment to an upgrade schedule. No budget, specific performance figures or launch dates for individual phases have been announced.

Ethereum currently produces blocks in 12-second slots, while transactions take about 16 minutes to reach finality. Mainnet responsiveness, data propagation between nodes and long-term cryptographic security remain key challenges. Co-founder Vitalik Buterin has therefore drawn on the Ethereum Foundation Protocol team's “Strawmap” to plan concurrent upgrades to consensus and quantum-resistant architecture.

On February 25, 2026, Buterin outlined a roughly four-year roadmap spanning seven forks, with upgrades expected every six months. Slot times would be reduced in stages from 12 seconds to 8, 6, 4, 3 and ultimately 2 seconds, while peer-to-peer network optimizations would prevent duplicate downloads. The target for finality is 6–16 seconds, and major consensus changes will be paired with hash-based, quantum-resistant signatures. Glamsterdam and Hegotá are scheduled to advance in 2026.

The Ethereum Foundation has long pursued phased upgrades to improve the mainnet’s scalability, security and user experience. Strawmap, proposed by researcher Justin Drake, consolidates disparate protocol research into a clear timetable. The roadmap is intended to coordinate developer and ecosystem resources while setting a common direction for Ethereum on performance, privacy and resistance to quantum attacks.

The latest Strawmap blueprint calls for seven major technical upgrades between its release and the end of 2029. It centers on five core goals, including one-second L1 finality, capacity exceeding 10,000 transactions per second, quantum security and native private transactions. The features will be introduced gradually through protocol upgrades, while their precise scope and launch dates remain subject to community discussion and testing.