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Editor's Note: On March 2, 2026, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published the latest lengthy technical article proposing a novel protocol-level mechanism called "FOCIL" (Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists). This proposal aims to combat the increasingly severe problem of centralization in block building and curb "harmful MEV" (Maximum Extractable Value). This article provides a detailed analysis of how the mechanism operates and its strategic significance in the Ethereum roadmap for 2026.
Introducing "FOCIL" to Combat Centralization in Ethereum Block Building
On March 2, 2026, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published an influential blog post that elaborates on a new protocol-level strategy aimed at addressing the escalating issues of centralization in the block building process. As the network prepares for the upcoming "Glamsterdam" upgrade (which will establish a proposer-builder separation mechanism known as ePBS), Buterin warns that merely providing an open market for block creation is insufficient to prevent a few advanced participants from dominating transaction ordering.
To address this issue, he proposed a concept referred to as Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists (FOCIL). Within the FOCIL framework, a small group of randomly selected validators will compile a list of transactions that must be included in the next block. If the block builder attempts to ignore these transactions—whether for censorship reasons or to extract "harmful MEV"—the block will be deemed invalid by the rest of the network and rejected according to the fork-choice rules. This system ensures that even if a single adversarial entity controls the entire block building market, they cannot permanently exclude certain users or manipulate the network to gain disproportionate benefits.
Addressing Harmful MEV and the Rise of Encrypted Mempools
In addition to censorship resistance, another important focus of Buterin's extended 2026 roadmap is to reduce "harmful MEV," which includes sandwich attacks and front-running that extract value from retail traders.
He suggests that following FOCIL, the next logical evolution is to introduce "Big FOCIL." This would expand the packing list capacity to accommodate nearly all transactions within a block, thereby reducing the block builders' role to primarily calculating state and minimizing MEV optimization. Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation is exploring the implementation of encrypted mempools. This innovation will hide the specific details of transactions before they are officially included in a block, preventing speculative traders from preemptively viewing user transactions and "sandwiching" them with adverse orders.
By combining FOCIL with encrypted execution, Buterin aims to evolve Ethereum's base layer into a "neutral zone," with the protocol itself ensuring fairness in the network rather than relying on the goodwill of centralized builders or relay nodes.
Reshaping the Cryptopunk Spirit in the "Rebellion" of 2026
This latest proposal is part of Buterin's broader 2026 manifesto, positioned as a "rebellion" against the increasingly concentrated powers of Silicon Valley and traditional financial systems. As institutional funds bring trillions of dollars into the blockchain, Buterin advocates for building a "hardened" infrastructure that preserves self-sovereignty and trustlessness at all costs.
He points out that the technological challenges of 2026 have shifted from merely achieving decentralization of validators to ensuring that the "block building pipeline" can resist corporate and governmental takeover, which is a more complex task. By embedding these anti-centralization mechanisms into the protocol through the "Glamsterdam" and subsequent "Hegota" upgrades, the Ethereum community aims to prove that a global layer can scale to process millions of transactions per second without sacrificing its fundamental principles.
The message for developers and investors in 2026 is unmistakable: the "world computer" is undergoing a reconstruction to reaffirm its status as a public good, freed from the control of the "big tech" entities it originally intended to disrupt.
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Copyright Statement
This article has been fully translated by TECHUB NEWS AI based on the original text.
- Original source: FinanceFeeds
- Original title: Vitalik Buterin Proposes 'FOCIL' to Break Block Builder Dominance on Ethereum
- Original link: https://financefeeds.com/vitalik-buterin-proposes-focil-to-break-block-builder-dominance-on-ethereum/
This translation is for learning and communication purposes only, and the copyright belongs to the original author.
Compiled by: TECHUB NEWS AI
Published on: March 3, 2026
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