Glamsterdam Testnet Announcement
The Ethereum Foundation announced the Glamsterdam testnet upgrade for Sepolia, slated for October 6 2026. It introduces proposer‑builder separation, block‑level access lists, and revised gas pricing to boost L1 throughput.
Poin utama
- Glamsterdam activates on Sepolia at epoch 353,024 (Oct 6 2026) and adds ePBS and BALs for higher throughput.
- Node operators must update both execution and consensus clients before the upgrade.
- Gas accounting changes will affect contracts that rely on fixed gas limits or stipends.
- Validators gain more time for execution validation via a new payload timeliness committee.
- Mainnet and Hoodi activation dates are still pending.
- Default gas limit (Prysm/Teku)
- 60M
- Configurable max gas limit
- 200M
What the upgrade addresses
The Ethereum Foundation’s Glamsterdam announcement outlines the next testnet upgrade on Sepolia, scheduled for epoch 353,024 (October 6 2026, 13:53:36 UTC). The report asks how the network can continue scaling L1 capacity while keeping validation practical for operators. To answer this, the Foundation bundles the Amsterdam execution‑layer changes with the Gloas consensus‑layer upgrade, delivering enshrined proposer‑builder separation (ePBS) and block‑level access lists (BALs).
Data and methodology
The upgrade’s technical blueprint is defined through a series of EIPs—most notably EIP‑7732 (ePBS) and EIP‑7928 (BALs). The Foundation details the protocol flow: proposers embed a builder’s commitment, builders later reveal the payload, and a timeliness committee attests to prompt delivery. BALs record every account and storage slot touched in a block, enabling parallel state reads and faster root computation. Gas‑pricing reforms (EIP‑8037, EIP‑8038) adjust costs for state creation and access, aligning fees with actual resource use.
Main findings
Glamsterdam’s core outcome is a more scalable execution environment. By separating proposer and builder duties, validators gain extra validation time, reducing reliance on trusted middleware. BALs improve parallelism, allowing higher throughput without overburdening node hardware. Gas‑accounting tweaks mean contracts will see different gas consumption, especially those with hard‑coded limits. The Foundation notes that Prysm and Teku clients will default to a 60 M gas limit post‑upgrade, but operators can configure a 200 M limit if desired.
Caveats and operational steps
The upgrade applies only to Sepolia for now; mainnet and Hoodi dates remain undecided. Node operators must update both execution‑layer and consensus‑layer clients before the activation timestamp. Validators need to adjust settings to achieve higher gas limits and review new ePBS duties. Developers should test contracts against the repricing guide, as assumptions about fixed gas stipends may break. The Ethereum Bug Bounty Program now covers Glamsterdam specifications, encouraging thorough testing.
Implications for the community
For Sepolia stakers and non‑staking operators, the immediate action is a client upgrade. Mainnet participants can monitor the rollout but need not act yet. Application developers should anticipate contract‑level adjustments and leverage the new opcodes and higher contract size limits. Overall, Glamsterdam sets the stage for future L1 scaling, paving the way for more ambitious upgrades on Ethereum’s main network.