Ethereum Plans Major Architecture Change With L1-zkEVM Roadmap for 2026

• Ethereum EIP-8025 allows zkAttesters to validate blocks by verifying zk proofs without re-executing every transaction.
• The first L1 zkEVM workshop is set for February 11, 2026, covering witness standards, CL integration, and prover setup.

Ethereum is planning a change to how block validity can be checked on the base layer. Under the L1-zkEVM roadmap for 2026, validation can shift from re-executing every transaction to verifying zero-knowledge proofs. This method lets an attester confirm correct execution by checking cryptographic proofs instead of replaying all the computation.

EIP-8025, known as Optional Execution Proofs, supports this approach. Nodes can still validate blocks through full re-execution using an execution client. However, a proof-based path can run in parallel, so attesters can verify execution proofs and proceed without running a full execution workflow.

A proof pipeline is central to this design. An execution layer client generates an “Execution Witness” for each block. That witness packages the data needed to validate the state transition without requiring a verifier to hold the full execution state. 

Next, a standardized guest program consumes the witness and checks the transition rules. After that, a zkVM runs the guest program, and a prover generates a proof. Finally, a consensus layer client can verify the proof during block processing.

Amid the recent Ethereum upgrade, CNF also outlined that developers plan to begin work on the Hegota upgrade later in 2026 after completing Glamsterdam in the first half of the year. Hegota discussions include FOCIL, a fork choice inclusion list design that seeks to end transaction censorship by block builders.

Ethereum’s EIP-8025 Adds Proof Gossip and a zkAttester Option

EIP-8025 sets consensus-layer mechanics for handling execution proofs. Proofs from different execution client implementations can propagate over a dedicated gossip topic on the p2p network. As a result, attesters can fetch proofs and verify them while processing blocks, rather than calling an execution client to re-run transactions.

A multi-proof model is part of the current plan. Under this setup, an attester can accept execution once it verifies a threshold of independent proofs for the same block. A referenced working parameter is a 3-of-5 threshold, meaning three verified proofs out of five can satisfy the check. Still, the threshold is treated as adjustable as testing and security review continue.

Proof timing is also tied to proposer-builder separation work. Enshrined proposer-builder separation, or ePBS, can extend the proving window by enabling block pipelining across a slot. With more time available, proof generation becomes more feasible within normal consensus timing.

An L1-zkEVM workshop is scheduled for February 11, 2026, at 15:00 UTC. The session agenda covers six work tracks. Those tracks include execution witness and guest program standardization, zkVM-guest interface work, consensus layer integration, prover infrastructure, benchmarking and metrics, plus security work that includes formal verification.

Earlier this month, CNF noted that Payy Link launched Payy Network, which it says is Ethereum’s first and only privacy-enabled EVM Layer 2. ERC 20 transfers are private by default, require no smart contract changes, and support EVM wallets natively.