So, there's something we need to discuss regarding the major Ethereum upgrade coming at the end of 2026. This isn't just a typical technical update—it's about how Ethereum intends to position itself as a truly neutral global settlement layer.

The core is EIP-7805, which people call FOCIL or Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists. The concept is simple but powerful: the protocol will force block builders to include transactions from a public list, or their blocks will be rejected by the network. This is a major shift from 'social expectation' to a hard guarantee at the protocol level.

Here's the context. Currently, a small number of advanced builders handle the majority of Ethereum sequencing. It's efficient, but this creates a bottleneck. If a builder decides to exclude transactions—for example, due to regulation or competitive reasons—transactions can be delayed significantly. Tornado Cash is a real-world example. Some validators now voluntarily exclude Tornado Cash-related transactions to comply with US regulations. But with FOCIL, such censorship would be technically impossible at the protocol level.

The architecture of FOCIL is smart. At each slot—(12 seconds)—the protocol selects several actors—up to 17 according to the latest developer discussions—to contribute to the inclusion list. This redundancy ensures that even if some actors are offline or want to censor, only one honest actor is needed to force transactions in. This isn't an inclusion list that can be ignored like previous proposals.

Vitalik himself highlights that FOCIL doesn't work in a vacuum. It's paired with EIP-8141 and Account Abstraction improvements. Together, they enable native account abstraction, support for privacy protocols, and gas sponsorship—all while maintaining inclusion guarantees. So privacy-preserving transactions can be included within 12-24 seconds without complex wrappers or third-party intermediaries.

But of course, there are trade-offs to discuss. Supporters argue this is essential for Ethereum to function as a credibly neutral settlement layer—if transactions can be blocked at the protocol level, the network loses value as a permissionless system. Valid transactions are defined purely by protocol rules, not sender identity or fund destination.

On the other hand, there are legitimate regulatory concerns. If the protocol forces US-based validators to include transactions involving sanctioned addresses—including Tornado Cash addresses—validators could face regulatory scrutiny. Experts like Ameen Soleimani warn that FOCIL might trigger a 'chilling effect,' where institutions become reluctant to run nodes on networks that require processing all transactions without exception.

For the average user, the impact is concrete. Transactions that previously experienced delays—especially those involving privacy tools or certain DeFi protocols—will be included within 1-2 slots. This means latency drops drastically, from potentially minutes to 12-24 seconds. Plus, there's predictability: as long as you pay the market gas fee, your transaction is guaranteed a spot on the chain.

Network resilience also improves. By reducing the influence of centralized relays and builders, the network becomes more robust against single points of failure. This is especially important given ETH is currently trading around $2.32K— the more valuable the network, the more critical its security.

Hegota follows after Glamsterdam, which focuses on Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS). Together, they complete what the community calls the 'Holy Trinity of Censorship Resistance.' This represents a long-term commitment of Ethereum to its technical roadmap.

Of course, the debate between technical reliability and the evolving regulatory landscape will continue until the 2026 approach. But what’s clear is that this upgrade is a statement of intent: Ethereum wants to remain neutral, permissionless, and resistant to censorship—even if that creates friction with regulators. That is the core idealism that Vitalik and the founders have defined from the start, and Hegota is a concrete implementation of those principles.