# Ethereum Pulls Block-Building Trust Into the Protocol

Ethereum's hard forks will keep moving functions now handled by trusted off-protocol intermediaries, such as MEV relays and builder auctions, into consensus rules. Each upgrade shrinks the business and the systemic role of relay and middleware operators and changes who captures block-building value, while every enshrinement adds execution risk at activation.

- Conviction: 35 / 100 (forming)
- Horizon: Emerging (watchlist)
- Tracking since: 2026-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Last updated: 2026-10-17T06:31:43.856Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/crypto/trends/ethereum-protocol-absorbs-trusted-middleware
- Publisher: Polylog
- Affected regions: Global

## Recent evidence

- [confirms] Ethereum Foundation Schedules Glamsterdam Upgrade for Hoodi Testnet After October 6 Sepolia Activation (2026-10-17): The Ethereum Foundation scheduled Glamsterdam for the Hoodi testnet after its October 6 Sepolia activation. The upgrade writes proposer-builder separation into the protocol and adds block-level access lists for parallel execution, which reduces the role of the trusted relays that route most blocks today.