Vitalik's endorsement still faces rejection, Hegota upgrades and abandons quantum-resistant frame transactions

Ethereum client developers voted during an online meeting on March 27th, deciding not to prioritize “Frame Transactions” as an upcoming Hegota upgrade feature. Although Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin publicly endorsed the proposal during the meeting, multiple client developers rejected it due to its complexity, marking it as “consider for inclusion” instead.

Why Frame Transactions Were Downgraded: The Core of the Complexity Debate

(Source: Forkcast)

The decision was made during the final confirmation stage of the Hegota upgrade feature prioritization. Last month, developers locked in FOCIL (Forced Fork Choice List) as the top priority for Hegota, aiming to enhance Ethereum network censorship resistance. Frame transactions were initially expected to be the second most important feature but ultimately did not gain majority support from developers.

Frame transactions aim to cover two main aspects: first, using post-quantum cryptography to prepare Ethereum against future quantum computing threats; second, providing a more powerful version of account abstraction, enabling blockchain applications to support traditional username-password logins and fee-less transactions, significantly lowering the entry barrier for average users.

Four Core Features of Frame Transactions

Quantum Resistance: Uses post-quantum cryptography to protect Ethereum accounts from future quantum attacks

Native Account Abstraction: Supports username-password login and fee-less transactions, approaching traditional web application experience

Privacy Scenario Expansion: Biconomy co-founder Ahmed Al-Balaghi pointed out that frame transactions have broad potential in privacy applications

Innovation Catalyst: Supporters believe this feature will bring a large number of new application scenarios to the Ethereum ecosystem

Developer Disagreements: Complexity Costs and the Future of Account Abstraction

Opponents mainly focus on implementation complexity. Daniel Lehrner from Besu said, “We think it’s too complex and the actual benefits are limited.” Ben Adams from Nethermind warned that forcing frame transactions into Hegota could slow down the entire upgrade timeline, conflicting with Ethereum’s current goal of accelerating upgrades.

Supporters are concerned about further delays in account abstraction. Developer Pashalathi Ramanujam stated during the meeting, “If frame transactions are not prioritized, there’s concern that we may never achieve native account abstraction in the near future.” Ahmed Al-Balaghi also expressed that this decision is a setback for Ethereum’s user experience development.

Offchain Labs (Arbitrum developers) senior product manager Daniel Lumi proposed a compromise, suggesting that instead of focusing solely on the frame transaction proposal, the broader improvement of account abstraction should be advanced within the Hegota discussion framework. He said, “We hear related feedback from users and businesses every day, and this is the most important choice for user experience.”

Ethereum Foundation leader and meeting host Ansgar Dietrichs concluded by saying that the account abstraction topic has gained broad recognition, and subsequent meetings are expected to continue pushing forward solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hegota, and when is it expected to launch?

Hegota is the next major network upgrade planned after Pectra, expected to be launched in the second half of 2026. The confirmed top feature is FOCIL (Forced Fork Choice List), aimed at improving network censorship resistance.

What does “consider for inclusion” mean for Frame Transactions?

“Consider for inclusion” is a non-priority label in Ethereum’s upgrade process, indicating that the proposal will undergo comprehensive technical review in subsequent developer meetings but will not be a primary focus of Hegota. Final inclusion depends on future discussions.

What does account abstraction mean for ordinary Ethereum users?

Account abstraction aims to support traditional login methods like usernames and passwords in Ethereum applications and allows third parties to pay gas fees, greatly lowering the barrier for new users to use crypto wallets. It is widely regarded as a key pathway to improving user experience on Ethereum.