The Ethereum Foundation has published an updated protocol roadmap called Strawmap, laying out five priorities for the network’s next phase: Fast L1, Gigagas L1, Teragas L2, Post Quantum L1, and Private L1. The document, released on February 18, 2026, frames these efforts around a single goal: turning Ethereum into a scalable, secure, and private world computer.
Fast finality and a 1 Gigagas per second target
The first track, Fast L1, centers on cutting transaction finality times on the mainnet. According to the roadmap, Ethereum wants to use Single Slot Finality (SSF) and reduce slot times from 12 seconds to 8 seconds or less. The aim is to reduce latency and make direct use of layer 1 feel much closer to instant confirmation.
Strawmap also sets out a major throughput target through Gigagas L1. The plan calls for Ethereum to handle 1 billion gas per second, or 1 Gigagas/sec. To get there, the roadmap points to enshrined zkEVM provers built into the protocol. In the document’s model, that could push the mainnet toward roughly 10,000 TPS without requiring extra hardware from participants.
Layer-2 capacity goal reaches 10 million TPS
On scaling beyond the base layer, the roadmap introduces Teragas L2. This part of the plan targets ecosystem-wide layer-2 capacity of 1 teragas per second, equal to 10 million TPS. One of the enabling technologies named in the document is PeerDAS, or Peer-to-Peer Data Availability Sampling.
With a much larger data layer, Ethereum expects L2 networks to use the mainnet as a near-zero-cost data platform. That would expand room for low-cost, high-scale decentralized applications, while reinforcing Ethereum’s role as the settlement and data backbone for rollup-based growth.
Quantum resistance and privacy move into core protocol planning
Security is addressed through the Post Quantum L1 track. The roadmap says Ethereum intends to move away from ECDSA signatures and toward quantum-resistant systems based on hash functions or lattice cryptography. The document ties this effort to rising concern that advances in computing could weaken traditional cryptographic assumptions.
Privacy is treated as a protocol objective as well. Under Private L1, Ethereum wants confidentiality features to become embedded rather than optional. The examples in the roadmap include shielded ETH transfers, which would let users hide balances and transaction history without compromising decentralization.
Roadmap structure changes and two upgrades planned for 2026
Alongside the technical goals, the Ethereum Foundation has reorganized the old roadmap framing. Stages previously known as “The Surge,” “The Scourge,” and “The Verge” are now grouped into three workstreams: Scale, Improve UX, and Harden L1. The document also points to two key milestones in 2026: the Glamsterdam update in the first half of the year and the Hegotá upgrade in the second half.
On the market side, the source notes that ETH had not yet reclaimed the $2,100 level, though it was still posting strong double-digit daily gains.