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 examine group forward of EPF5, EPS has grown into the first academic on-ramp for anybody seeking to perceive Ethereum’s core protocol. Tons of of contributors have used this system to go from common Ethereum familiarity to studying specs, navigating consumer codebases, and contributing to protocol improvement.
This yr’s program expands in each depth and format. EPS 2026 introduces two new content material tracks overlaying 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 observe will deal with 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 techniques and post-quantum signature schemes.
Lean Consensus and zkEVM
With the current progress on zkEVMs, this observe covers the way forward for ethereum consensus. Members will discover how zkEVM implementations show execution correctness and the way these efforts hook up with the broader objective of scaling and SNARKifying the Ethereum protocol.
A New Studying Platform
Earlier iterations of EPS relied on stay 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 out there 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 examine group classes with interactive assessments within the type of comprehension checks embedded straight in lecture recordings. Members can work via the content material at their very own tempo, with progress monitoring and clear studying targets for every part.
The educational platform enhances the stay program somewhat than changing it. Cohort contributors 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 observe your progress, check your data and ensures that the barrier to entry is as little as potential.
What to anticipate in 2026
Members 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 examine platform.
- 5 weeks of recent content material beginning March ninth; two classes per week overlaying cryptography and lean consensus/zkEVM.
- Reside seminar-style discussions with core builders, researchers, and previous EPF fellows
- A devoted Discord server for protocol discussions
- Alternatives to contribute to collaborative documentation by way of epf.wiki
The EPF Wiki: A Dwelling Data Base
epf.wiki continues to function a complete, community-maintained data base for the Ethereum protocol. It covers execution and consensus layer specs, consumer structure, testing infrastructure, and lively analysis areas. Contributions from EPS contributors have been important to retaining it present and complete, and we encourage everybody to assist develop and refine its content material.
Get Concerned
The examine group is for anybody involved in 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 in regards to the system’s internals, this system gives a structured path from foundational ideas to the innovative.
Get began by exploring epf.wiki and becoming a member of the Discord.
