Ethereum Moves Forward With Plan to Let Users Skip Holding ETH for Gas Fees

Ethereum developers have officially scheduled a proposal known as Frame Transactions for inclusion in the network’s upcoming Hegotá upgrade, expected in 2027. The change addresses a long-standing frustration where wallets holding valuable stablecoins remain unable to move funds simply because they lack ether needed to cover transaction fees. Core developers confirmed the proposal’s inclusion during a call in late August, shifting it from a candidate idea to a committed part of the network’s roadmap.

How the New System Would Work

The proposal separates a transaction into distinct steps, one confirming user authorization, another determining who covers the fee, and the remainder executing the actual instructions. This separation means the account sending funds and the account paying the associated fee no longer need to be the same. In practice, this could allow a payment app to cover network costs directly or accept stablecoins from users and settle the ether fee on their behalf, meaning users would never need to purchase ether themselves.

Additional Improvements Bundled In

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, one of the proposal’s ten co-authors, noted that meaningful progress on the feature has been happening steadily behind the scenes. The upgrade would also streamline processes like token trading, where users currently must approve spending permissions separately before completing a trade. Under the new system, if a trade fails, any related permissions would automatically be withdrawn rather than remaining active.

Groundwork for Future Security Upgrades

The proposal could also make it easier for accounts to update their security methods over time, potentially allowing a shift toward encryption resistant to future quantum computing threats, without needing to move funds to an entirely new address. Developers stress that the specification remains in draft form and could still change before the upgrade goes live, meaning the feature is not yet available for use.