Vitalik: New Ethereum Design Targets Censorship With FOCIL and EIP-8141
TLDR:
FOCIL and EIP-8141 allow smart wallet and privacy transactions to reach blocks without wrappers or intermediaries.
Randomized includers reduce proposer dominance and increase censorship resistance for all Ethereum transactions.
Rapid inclusion within one or two slots becomes likely even under hostile network behavior.
Future FOCIL expansion could support most block transactions while preserving MEV auction mechanics.
Ethereum is moving closer to censorship-resistant transaction inclusion after new technical links emerged between FOCIL and EIP-8141.
The update focuses on ensuring that all transaction types reach the blockchain quickly, even under hostile network conditions. It also expands how smart accounts and privacy protocols interact with block production.
The development highlights Ethereum’s push to reduce proposer power while keeping network incentives intact.
How FOCIL and EIP-8141 Enable Direct Transaction Inclusion
According to a post shared by CEO Vitalik Buterin, FOCIL works alongside EIP-8141 to make smart accounts and privacy tools first-class transaction senders.
EIP-8141 builds on account abstraction by allowing smart wallets to submit transactions directly onchain without wrappers or intermediaries. These accounts can support multisignature controls, quantum-resistant keys, and gas sponsorship.
FOCIL then ensures that these transactions gain rapid inclusion through randomly selected includers each slot. In every block, up to 17 actors can include transactions, instead of relying on a single proposer.
Vitalik noted that this structure creates a path for almost guaranteed inclusion within one or two slots. It also allows privacy protocol transactions to enter blocks through the public mempool without relying on broadcasters or relayers.
There is also an important synergy between FOCIL and AA (EIP-8141, which is based on 7701):
8141 makes not just smart accounts (including multisig, quantum-resistant signatures, key changes, gas sponsorship) first-class citizens, it also can do the same for privacy protocols… https://t.co/wLCEuq66eI
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 19, 2026
Why FOCIL and EIP-8141 Weaken Proposer Control
FOCIL currently limits each inclusion list to about 8 kilobytes, keeping the design lightweight in its first phase. However, the roadmap allows these lists to grow and potentially carry most transactions in future blocks.
The approach mirrors some features of multiple concurrent proposer models without removing proposer-builder separation. Instead, it preserves the MEV auction for the final ordering role through ePBS.
Even if all proposer slots were captured by a hostile entity, transactions would still reach blocks through FOCIL includers. This reduces the ability of any single actor to block or discriminate against certain applications.
The design shifts power away from centralized block producers while keeping economic incentives stable. It also protects smart wallet operations and privacy protocol activity from selective exclusion.
Developers say the combination strengthens the base layer against censorship without forcing changes to existing transaction flows. Transactions from smart accounts can move through the public mempool and directly reach includers.
With these changes, ETH positions itself to support a wider range of transaction types under adversarial conditions. The update reinforces ongoing work on account abstraction and block inclusion guarantees.
The post Vitalik: New Ethereum Design Targets Censorship With FOCIL and EIP-8141 appeared first on Blockonomi.
Filed under: Bitcoin - @ February 19, 2026 8:15 pm