# Ethereum Daily: R&D Recap 

> A nontechnical summary of Ethereum’s research and development updates for the week of August 11–18, 2025.

**Published by:** [Ethereum Daily](https://paragraph.com/@ethereumdaily/)
**Published on:** 2025-08-17
**Categories:** ethereum, daily, r&d, research, development, crypto
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@ethereumdaily/ethereum-daily-randd-recap

## Content

📞 Core Developer CallsAll Core Devs – Execution Call #218 Key OutcomesDevnet 4 issues: A variety of issues were encountered by developers in Devnet-4. Identified bugs are currently affecting syncing, blob-fees algorithms, and finality on the test network. Developers had previously expected to move to a public testnet after Devnet-4, but agreed during the call that the issues justify the creation of a Devnet-5, which will be discussed further in a call on Monday. Glamsterdam Upgrade: Consensus was reached that the Glamsterdam upgrade headliners will be Enshrined Proposer Builder Separation (ePBS) on the Consensus Layer and Block Level Access Lists (BALs) on the Execution Layer. All other headliner proposals, except for FOCIL because of it's overwhelming community support, are no longer being considered for inclusion in the upgrade planned for 2026. Core devs proposed the launch of the first Glamsterdam devnets prior to October 1, 2025 and mainnet activation in June 2026.Progress was made on the design for Block Level Access lists and will be discussed in greater detail in a forthcoming breakout call. Why This MattersThe extra Devnet-5 could mean the Fusaka mainnet upgrade is activated later than the current target date in early November. The formal inclusion of ePBS and BALs in the Glamsterdam upgrade should make the Ethereum network more scalable, efficient and resilient against MEV risks, while Block Level Access Lists promise parrelizable transactions, resulting in cheaper, more predictable gas fees. EIP-7732 (ePBS) Breakout Room CallKey OutcomesProposer boost: A bug was discovered where outdated blocks could influence proposer boost in the wrong way. Fixes were agreed on to close this gap and make finalization more reliable.Free option problem: Builders sometimes have a risk-free advantage by withholding payloads. Researchers are testing penalties, like asymmetric payments, to discourage this behavior. Work here is ongoing.Inclusion proofs: Some proof requirements may be dropped to reduce technical debt, since blocks and blobs will be known together under this design.Next StepsClient teams will prepare the first ePBS Devnet by the end of October. Proposer boost fixes will roll out in upcoming releases, while research continues on penalties for the free option problem.Why This MattersEIP-7732 changes how blocks are proposed and checked. Instead of proposers having to include and validate all transaction data right away, they only include a builder’s signed promise. A special committee then makes sure the builder delivers the data on time. This separation makes block validation faster, more reliable, and less dependent on trusted third parties. Here’s a draft blog section tailored for nontechnical readers, in the same style as your other Ethereum Daily recaps: FOCIL Breakout Call #17Key OutcomesFOCIL integration: Developers agreed FOCIL has strong community support, but warned it can’t slow down Glamsterdam. The plan is to update FOCIL to work with the latest designs and run tests.Client coordination: Client teams will align their work so FOCIL can run across clients on the same devnet.Testing: Developers will add small, independent tests and also build a dashboard to track FOCIL's progress.Next StepsRebase FOCIL on EPBSAdd unit tests for validator logic.Prepare FOCIL branches for multi-client devnet trials.Share the new dashboard when it’s ready.Why this mattersFOCIL, if implemented, would make Ethereum more censorship resistant. Today, if block proposers collude or get pressured, they can try to block or delay certain transactions. With FOCIL, validators can coordinate more effectively to finalize blocks, making it harder for any group to censor transactions, keeping Ethereum fair and open to everyone. Post-Quantum Interop Call #8Key OutcomesConsensus design: Some wanted to strip testing down to cryptography only, while others argued for a lightweight version of Ethereum’s normal consensus. Teams leaned toward the latter so they can measure how the signatures work in real-world conditions.Validator keys: Post-quantum keys are huge and slow to generate, sometimes taking hours. To keep things practical, the first Devnet will launch with about 100 validators instead of the original 1,000.Tooling updates: Key infrastructure like genesis generators, validator software, and monitoring tools must be updated before the Devnet can begin.Next StepsThe first post-quantum Devnet is targeted for August 31st. Teams will finish tool upgrades, generate validator keys, and test performance ahead of launch.Why This MattersQuantum computers could one day break today’s cryptography. Ethereum researchers are preparing by testing post-quantum signature schemes. These trial Devnets will show how the new cryptography performs in realistic settings. 🧪 New Research PostsOn Ethereum Prover Market DesignAuthor: Mike NeuderTL;DREthereum may soon need a marketplace for “provers,” the actors who generate zk-proofs.Designing this market well is crucial to avoid centralization and inefficiency.Research explores how to balance incentives and trust between provers and the network.SummaryZero-knowledge proofs (zk-proofs) are becoming more central to Ethereum’s scalability and rollup ecosystem. Provers are the entities who generate these proofs, but because proving is expensive, a few large actors could dominate unless incentives are carefully designed. Mike Neuder outlines potential designs for a prover market that would keep the system decentralized, efficient, and secure.Why This MattersIf successful, a well-structured prover market could unlock cheaper and faster rollups, making Ethereum transactions more accessible while avoiding centralization risks and dependency on 3rd-party providers. Ethereum Settlement Score (ESS): Revitalizing the Rollup-Centric RoadmapAuthor: Luis SchliesskeTL;DRProposes a metric, Ethereum Settlement Score (ESS), to measure Ethereum’s value to rollups.ESS captures how strongly Ethereum anchors rollup security and finality.Could guide upgrades and improve Ethereum’s role as the settlement layer for L2s.SummaryLuis Schliesske introduces the Ethereum Settlement Score (ESS), a framework for evaluating Ethereum’s effectiveness as the ultimate settlement layer in a rollup-centric ecosystem. The score reflects Ethereum’s ability to provide censorship resistance, data availability, and finality to rollups. ESS could help measure progress and compare trade-offs across different roadmap proposals.Why This MattersA clear benchmark like ESS can help developers and the community monitor and align on Ethereum’s rollup-centric vision and ensure upgrades actually strengthen its settlement role. Integrating 3SF with ePBS, FOCIL, and PeerDASAuthors: Luca Zanolini, Roberto SaltiniTL;DRProposes combining three key upgrades: 3-Step Finality (3SF), Enshrined PBS (ePBS), and FOCIL, with PeerDAS for data availability.Suggests that coordinating these features can streamline consensus and improve efficiency.Aims to reduce complexity by aligning how validators, builders, and committees interact.SummaryThe post explores how Ethereum can integrate several major protocol upgrades that are each moving forward in parallel. Specifically, it looks at how 3SF (3-Slot Finality), which strengthens the chain’s finality guarantees, can be paired with ePBS (Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation), FOCIL (a fork-choice improvement with strong community support), and PeerDAS (a mechanism for distributing and verifying data availability). By aligning their design, developers can avoid conflicting assumptions, reduce duplicated work, and simplify the validator’s role in block production and finality. The authors note that while each proposal solves different issues, integrating them could yield a more cohesive and robust Ethereum roadmap.Why this mattersUsers benefit from these integrations because they mean Ethereum will finalize transactions faster and with greater security, while keeping fees predictable through better coordination of block building and data distribution. Rather than piecemeal upgrades that risk clashing, the network could evolve in a more streamlined and reliable way. HD Wallet for Lattice CryptographyAuthor: IlluzenTL;DRLets users keep the simple “one seed phrase, many keys” model in a quantum-secure world.Focuses on hardened keys; non-hardened derivation remains an open research problem.SummaryHierarchical Deterministic (HD) wallets are popular because they let people back up one seed phrase and use it to create unlimited wallet addresses. This proposal explores how to bring that convenience into a post-quantum world, using a new type of cryptography called lattices. It focuses on Dilithium, a post-quantum signature system already standardized by NIST. The main challenge is that lattice cryptography doesn’t work the same way as today’s systems, so some shortcuts (like creating “watch-only” wallets) aren’t possible yet. The proposed solution uses existing seed phrases to reliably generate secure keys, keeping the wallet experience simple while adapting it for stronger, quantum-resistant security.Why This MattersThis work ensures that familiar wallet designs can carry forward into a post-quantum Ethereum ecosystem, protecting users against future cryptographic risks without changing core user experience. Thanks for Reading Ethereum DailyFor more updates like these subscribe to Ethereum Daily and follow us on the social media platforms below.SubscribeTwitterFarcasterDisclosures: Ethereum Daily is an independent publication and does not offer financial or investment advice. Content may include opinions, affiliate links, or references to projects in which contributors have a financial interest. Always do your own research.

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