Ethereum developers are contemplating a significant upgrade to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which they consider “existential.”

The proposed upgrade, known as the EVM Object Format (EOF), has been a topic of discussion among Ethereum developers for quite some time. However, it has yet to be implemented, despite being considered for previous hard forks.

Initially considered for the Shapella hard fork, EOF was ultimately sidelined in favor of prioritizing staking withdrawals. Subsequently, it was reconsidered for inclusion in the Dencun upgrade but was once again postponed.

During discussions in April 2023, developers determined that EOF was too substantial to be implemented alongside EIP-4844 (Proto-Danksharding), which won out due to its potential to enhance the user experience of layer-2 rollups.

As a consolation, Ansgar Dietrichs from the Ethereum Foundation proposed making EOF the focus of the next upgrade, Prague, emphasizing its significance and suggesting it deserved its own spotlight.

While EOF remains a priority for some developers, there are concerns about its potential impact on other aspects of the Ethereum ecosystem, particularly Verkle trees, which are competing for attention in the next fork.

Despite differing opinions among developers, there is growing support for EOF, with some expressing optimism about its feasibility and potential benefits for Ethereum smart contracts.

However, there is still uncertainty about how EOF will be integrated and whether it will be compatible with other upgrades like Verkle trees.

As discussions continue, EOF remains in limbo, awaiting further development and consensus among Ethereum developers.