Ethereum Foundation Blog: Cluster Protocol Updates for May 2026
May 11, 2026
A recent meeting of Ethereum core developers from various client teams, known as interop, took place in Svalbard, Norway. During this week-long event, the teams concentrated on fortifying and preparing for the upcoming upgrade known as Glamsterdam.
Several key achievements were reached during the interop, including the establishment of a 200M gas limit floor. This milestone was determined from the convergence of ePBS, BAL optimizations, and the finalization of EIP-8037 repricing. ePBS was also stabilized, with a multi-client Glamsterdam-devnet operational, and an external builders pipeline tested across nearly all clients. Additionally, EIP-8037 was finalized, with the adoption of a fixed cost_per_state_byte, and full repricing numbers were delivered. The groundwork for Hegotá was laid as well, with functional FOCIL prototypes and scoped native AA requirements, setting the stage for the next steps in the multi-client devnet.
The interop event also marked the beginning of a leadership transition for the Ethereum Foundation Protocol cluster. The new cluster leads will be Will Corcoran, Kev Wedderburn, and Fredrik.
Over the past year since the Protocol Cluster was announced, Barnabé Monnot, Tim Beiko, and Alex Stokes have made significant contributions to the ecosystem through their leadership. While Barnabé and Tim will be moving on from the Ethereum Foundation, and Alex Stokes will be on sabbatical, their work has been instrumental in shaping the Protocol cluster. Under their guidance, Protocol launched various initiatives and successfully deployed Fusaka to the mainnet, introducing PeerDAS and raising the mainnet gas limit.
The new Protocol Cluster leads, Will Corcoran, Kev Wedderburn, and Fredrik, are already in the process of taking over their roles. At the interop event, there were discussions and meetings between the incoming and outgoing groups to facilitate a smooth transition without disrupting the progress on Glamsterdam.
Will Corcoran, known for his work on zkVM proving and post-quantum consensus, has a deep understanding of Protocol efforts. Kev Wedderburn, leading the zkEVM team, brings expertise in research and engineering. Fredrik, in charge of Protocol Security, is heavily involved in cross-cluster work.
Moving forward, the focus will be on shipping Glamsterdam, preparing for Hegotà, and advancing the Strawmap. Glamsterdam devnets are already operational, and plans for Hegotà are progressing, with FOCIL set to play a key role. Updates from the new Protocol Cluster leads are expected in the coming weeks.
