tl;dr: Ethereum Protocol Research returns for 2026 with new content material tracks in cryptography, lean consensus and zkEVM, plus a brand new self-paced studying platform. This system kicks off February twenty third. Go to epf.wiki to get began.
Ethereum Protocol Research (EPS) is again. Since launching as a 10-week research group forward of EPF5, EPS has grown into the first academic on-ramp for anybody trying to perceive Ethereum’s core protocol. Tons of of members have used this system to go from normal Ethereum familiarity to studying specs, navigating shopper codebases, and contributing to protocol growth.
This yr’s program expands in each depth and format. EPS 2026 introduces two new content material tracks masking areas of the protocol which are more and more central to Ethereum’s roadmap, alongside a self-paced studying platform that makes the curriculum accessible year-round.
What’s New in 2026
Cryptography
This monitor will concentrate on the arithmetic and cryptography elementary to Ethereum. With fundamental math coaching, you’ll be taught ideas like elliptic curve pairings, KZG commitments, hash capabilities, and the constructions shaping its future, together with zero-knowledge proof methods and post-quantum signature schemes.
Lean Consensus and zkEVM
With the current progress on zkEVMs, this monitor covers the way forward for ethereum consensus. Individuals will discover how zkEVM implementations show execution correctness and the way these efforts connect with the broader objective of scaling and SNARKifying the Ethereum protocol.
A New Studying Platform
Earlier iterations of EPS relied on dwell classes, Discord discussions, and the EPF Wiki as the first studying surfaces. These stay core to this system. However beginning this yr, EPS can also be accessible via a devoted FOSS studying administration system constructed on Moodle.
The platform hosts the earlier EPS curriculum as a structured, self-paced course. Every module pairs video content material from research group classes with interactive assessments within the type of comprehension checks embedded instantly in lecture recordings. Individuals can work via the content material at their very own tempo, with progress monitoring and clear studying goals for every part.
The training platform enhances the dwell program somewhat than changing it. Cohort members nonetheless profit from seminar-style discussions with protocol engineers, real-time Q&A, and collaborative work via the EPF Wiki and Discord. The platform helps monitor your progress, check your data and ensures that the barrier to entry is as little as attainable.
What to anticipate in 2026
Individuals in EPS 2026 can count on:
- Intro session on Monday, February twenty third
- Two onboarding weeks that includes foundational content material via the brand new research platform.
- 5 weeks of latest content material beginning March ninth; two classes per week masking cryptography and lean consensus/zkEVM.
- Dwell seminar-style discussions with core builders, researchers, and previous EPF fellows
- A devoted Discord server for protocol discussions
- Alternatives to contribute to collaborative documentation through epf.wiki
The EPF Wiki: A Residing Information Base
epf.wiki continues to function a complete, community-maintained data base for the Ethereum protocol. It covers execution and consensus layer specs, shopper structure, testing infrastructure, and energetic analysis areas. Contributions from EPS members have been important to preserving it present and complete, and we encourage everybody to assist increase and refine its content material.
Get Concerned
The research group is for anybody inquisitive about understanding how Ethereum works on the protocol stage. Whether or not you are a developer exploring core contributions, a researcher following the roadmap, or just curious concerning the system’s internals, this system supplies a structured path from foundational ideas to the leading edge.
Get began by exploring epf.wiki and becoming a member of the Discord.
