Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade has launched on the Sepolia testnet, marking a key step in the platform’s path toward enhanced scalability and efficiency. The upgrade went live on Sepolia at 1:53 pm UTC on Tuesday, as announced by Ethereum community contributor Pooja Ranjan in a post on X.
Key changes introduced by Glamsterdam
According to the Ethereum Foundation, Glamsterdam is designed to improve layer-1 scaling by introducing several major changes. These include enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS), block-level access lists, and refined gas pricing to better mirror actual execution costs.
The upgrade’s core component, enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732), implements a clear division between block proposers and block builders within Ethereum’s consensus protocol. This mechanism further separates consensus validation from execution validation, which provides validators additional time to verify execution payloads and supports higher transaction throughput.
Currently, Ethereum operates in a system where transactions are processed sequentially. Future optimizations with parallel processing could allow Ethereum to handle more transactions simultaneously and increase block sizes without raising the network-wide gas limit.
Another major aspect, EIP-7928, introduces block-level access lists (BALs). These access lists log every account and storage location used during a block, as well as changes to the blockchain’s state after transactions. This feature enables client software to read data from disk and validate transactions in parallel, increasing the network’s efficiency in computing state roots.
Mini dictionary: Enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) is a protocol-level implementation that divides the roles of proposing new blocks and building them among separate entities, aiming to improve network efficiency, decentralization, and security.
In a blog post published in May, the Ethereum Foundation confirmed a 200 million gas limit floor for Glamsterdam, increasing from the current level near 60 million. This change is expected to significantly accelerate transaction speeds following the upgrade.
Final steps before mainnet rollout
Following deployment on Sepolia, Ethereum developers plan to determine the activation date for Glamsterdam on the Hoodi testnet, their next staging network before mainnet integration. The final decision regarding mainnet launch will be made after performance and stability assessments on testnets.
Glamsterdam is seen by developers as one of the most important upgrades for Ethereum in 2026, given its potential to streamline the network and support future scaling innovations. After the recent Fusaka upgrade, Glamsterdam continues the project’s drive toward greater usability and performance for its global user base.
The Ethereum Foundation, known for its leadership in open-source blockchain development, is facilitating this upgrade to reinforce Ethereum’s role as a leading decentralized network for smart contracts and decentralized applications.
Industry observers and participating stakeholders continue to watch the staged rollout process, anticipating the timeline for full mainnet activation.
By raising the gas limit floor to 200 million, Ethereum could see a significant boost in transaction speed after Glamsterdam. The upgrade’s enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists aim to enhance both scalability and user experience on the network.
| Upgrade | Core Feature | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Fusaka | Base scalability improvements | Higher throughput |
| Glamsterdam | ePBS, BALs, higher gas limit | Better performance, parallel processing |
