Ethereum’s key developers have picked early December for the proposed launch of the network’s upcoming major hard fork, named Fusaka, which is designed to enhance the network’s scalability and efficiency.
The Fusaka upgrade is scheduled to activate on Dec. 3, with an increase in blob capacity set to occur two weeks later, around Dec. 17, followed by another blob capacity hard fork on Jan. 7, 2026.
Both blob capacity hard forks will more than double the existing blob capacity, as noted by Ethereum researcher Christine D. Kim.
Prior to the mainnet upgrade, three public testnets will be conducted between early October and mid-November.
“Our initial conclusion is that we can proceed with a Max blob count of 15 for BPO1 [Blob Parameter Only] and Max blob count of 21 for BPO2. A total of 5 BPOs are planned for Fusaka, ensuring that the mainnet scales significantly – and safely,” stated the Ethereum developer community’s ethPandaOps in a post on X on Thursday.
BPO (Blob-Parameter only) forks only modify the parameters related to blob targets and limits. These hard forks do not necessitate any client-side updates.
Blobs are used to store large datasets offchain, enhancing the efficiency of layer-2 networks and reducing the cost of transactions.
Blob utilization has been steadily increasing since the Dencun upgrade went live. Currently, the average blob count per block is 5.1, compared to only 0.9 in March 2023, according to a Dune dashboard.
On Monday, the Ethereum Foundation announced a four-week code audit initiative, offering $2 million to developers who uncover and report vulnerabilities in the Fusaka codebase.
Fusaka’s launch follows the Pectra upgrade on May 7, which raised the validator staking limit, introduced account abstraction, and improved layer-2 network efficiency.
Ethereum’s exit queue hits an all-time high
The total amount of ETH unstaked by Ethereum’s validators reached a record high, with 2.6 million ETH, valued at $12 billion, entering the exit queue last week.
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At the same time, the queue for entering the staking pool was at a four-week low amid concerns over potential selling pressure from the ETH that will be unstaked.
Currently, the wait time for the exit queue is approximately 43 days, according to the Ethereum Validator Queue.
On Thursday, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin explained that the protocol’s lengthy exit queue serves a purpose, arguing that reducing the limit would render the chain “much less trustworthy.”
Buterin’s remarks responded to Galaxy Digital’s head of DeFi, Michael Marcantonio, who described the length of the exit queue as “troubling.”
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