Ethereum outlines seven forks by 2029 in Strawmap

The ethereum foundation has a new long-horizon “Strawmap” that consolidates protocol work through 2029. As reported by Blockonomi, researcher Justin Drake outlined seven planned forks and five long-term goals spanning finality, throughput, data availability, privacy, and post-quantum security (https://blockonomi.com/ethereum-foundations-justin-drake-unveils-strawmap-roadmap-with-seven-forks-planned-through-2029/).

Strawmap functions as a coordination device to align clients and researchers around desired end-states rather than as a binding schedule. It sketches a target cadence and priorities while leaving room for iteration as engineering and research mature.

Why it matters: five goals shaping speed, scalability, privacy, security

Faster finality aims to shrink confirmation times to seconds, reducing reorg risk and improving user confidence. If achieved, exchanges, payment processors, and DeFi applications could settle flows more quickly with tighter operational risk buffers.

Throughput targets point to roughly five-figure transactions per second via zkEVMs, with the base layer offloading execution to proofs. Paired with data availability sampling, the design leans on rollups to scale while keeping verification cheap for light clients.

Native privacy and post-quantum cryptography seek long-term resilience. Privacy features would need careful parameterization to balance compliance and usability, while quantum-resistant primitives aim to safeguard assets and messages against future cryptanalytic breakthroughs.

What changes now for users, developers, and node operators

Near term, nothing “hard” changes for end users from Strawmap alone. It signals direction for client teams and standards bodies, setting expectations for research pipelines, audits, testnets, and phased activations.

Strawmap is explicitly presented as a coordination tool rather than a fixed roadmap, according to Crypto Briefing (https://cryptobriefing.com/ethereum-future-upgrades-strawmap/). Timelines are tentative and may shift with findings from testnets, peer review, and client readiness.

For developers, the emphasis moves toward proof-friendly architectures, L2-first patterns, and compatibility with zkEVM proving systems. Expect heavier use of public testnets to harden EIPs tied to data availability and finality before client merges.

For node operators, implications include potential changes in hardware and bandwidth profiles as blocks become richer and finality tightens. The Block notes that vitalik buterin has advocated partially stateless nodes and measures like EIP-4444 to keep historical storage bounded and sustain decentralization (https://www.theblock.co/post/354767/vitalik-buterin-suggests-implementing-partially-stateless-nodes-to-help-scale-ethereum).

Governance will be scrutinized as priorities convert into code. As reported by Decrypt, core engineer Péter Szilágyi said Vitalik has “complete indirect control” over the ecosystem, a reminder that legitimacy rests on transparent deliberation and client diversity (https://decrypt.co/345167/ethereum-core-veteran-vitalik-buterin-has-complete-indirect-control-over-ecosystem/).

At the time of this writing, Ethereum (ETH) traded around $2,071.58, providing neutral market context for the long-range engineering agenda. Price levels neither validate nor invalidate Strawmap’s feasibility.

Technical scope, trade-offs, and governance context

Fork cadence and five long-term goals at a glance

The proposed cadence sketches frequent, bounded-scope forks that can ship incremental capabilities while lowering coordination risk. The five goals cohere around faster settlement, proof-based throughput, rollup-centric scaling, quantum-era security, and privacy that preserves auditability.

Each objective carries trade-offs. Faster finality pressures liveness and client diversity; zkEVM throughput raises prover costs; data availability sampling demands rigorous networking; quantum-safe primitives affect signature sizes; privacy complicates analytics.

How zkEVMs and data availability sampling scale Ethereum

A zkEVM executes transactions off-chain and posts succinct proofs that L1 can verify quickly. This approach lifts raw throughput while keeping verification affordable for validators and light clients.

Data availability sampling lets nodes verify that rollup data is published without downloading it all. By probabilistically sampling erasure-coded data, the network can backstop high L2 throughput without sacrificing broad participation.

FAQ about Ethereum Strawmap

How will the seven forks through 2029 impact Ethereum users, developers, and node operators?

Users could see faster confirmations and lower fees via L2s. Developers should expect more zk-proof and DA-focused standards. Node operators may face changing storage, bandwidth, and finality profiles.

When are the next forks expected on the Strawmap timeline and how firm are these dates?

The timeline is indicative, not fixed. Dates are contingent on research outcomes, client readiness, audits, and testnets. Cadence and priorities may change as work progresses.