Buterin Unveils Multi-Stage Plan to Combat Centralization and MEV Attacks on Ethereum

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a multi-stage plan to combat centralization in block building and MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) attacks on the network. The roadmap, published after the announcement of the Glamsterdam upgrade, aims to separate the roles of block proposers and builders while reducing the dominance of a few large builders.

The first step towards this goal is FOCIL (Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists), which will be implemented in the second half of 2026. FOCIL randomly selects 16 attesters to nominate transactions for inclusion in the next block, and any block that ignores them will be rejected by the network.

Buterin also proposed a more speculative extension called 'Big FOCIL,' where the inclusion lists grow large enough to cover all transactions, potentially reducing a builder's role to ordering only MEV-relevant transactions. However, critics have raised concerns about FOCIL, citing potential legal exposure for node operators and increased protocol complexity.

In addition to addressing centralization, Buterin highlighted the need to tackle 'toxic MEV,' which includes sandwiching and frontrunning attacks on users. He suggested using encrypted mempool designs, where transactions remain hidden until included in a block, as one approach to mitigate this issue.