Ethereum prepares Glamsterdam upgrade to boost network throughput

The Ethereum network is preparing for the Glamsterdam upgrade, a major development aimed at increasing base-layer throughput and refining gas pricing. Following initial testing on the Sepolia testnet on October 6, 2026, the upgrade is scheduled to activate on the Hoodi testnet on October 26, 2026. A mainnet activation date has not yet been finalized, though it is targeted for Q4 2026.

Glamsterdam combines the Amsterdam execution layer upgrade with the Gloas consensus layer upgrade. Key technical features include enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) via EIP-7732 and block-level access lists (BALs) via EIP-7928. These changes are designed to decouple block proposers from builders and improve how blocks are produced and validated, supporting higher L1 throughput.

The upgrade also introduces significant changes to gas pricing through EIP-8037 and EIP-8038. These proposals aim to align transaction fees more closely with the actual computational work and state growth required for each operation, addressing long-standing issues with fee estimation and network bottlenecks.