Long-term technical strategies for Ethereum are becoming clearer. The roadmap called "Strawmap," published by Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, outlines the direction of protocol evolution over the next few years, and it's quite an interesting read.

It seems that seven major protocol forks are planned by 2029. These are not just small updates but significant changes to be implemented gradually. This approach ensures proper coordination and auditing among clients, maintaining Ethereum's multi-client system.

The technical ambitions are truly substantial. A target of up to 10 million transactions per second is set. This represents the final capability based on optimistic assumptions about data availability and proof systems, and while it won't be achieved immediately, the direction is clear.

The five key technical areas emphasized by Strawmap are native privacy (shielded ETH transactions at the protocol level), post-quantum security, fast finality, L1 execution using zero-knowledge proofs, and large-scale data availability for rollups. Notably, these developments are expected to progress concurrently. Enhancements like FOCAL and account abstraction are also included, aiming to improve censorship resistance and user experience.

Vitalik Buterin himself has commented that "relying heavily on rollups no longer makes sense." This suggests a potential redefinition of the roles of L1 and L2. If L1 strengthens security, privacy, and finality, then L2 can focus on application diversity and parallel execution.

However, engineering ambitions come with trade-offs. Faster finality and stronger encryption increase hardware requirements and bandwidth for validators. This could favor high-performance operators, putting pressure on decentralization. Enforcing inclusion lists might also introduce legal and operational ambiguities for validators, requiring careful design and phased deployment.

As timelines extend and complexity grows, implementation risks and developer attention remain challenges. Maintaining client diversity, formal verification, and clear upgrade paths are crucial to prevent rapid infrastructure changes during upgrades.

Currently, ETH price is around $2.32k. It’s worth watching how much this technical roadmap is already priced into the market and how future developments unfold.