Key Highlights
- Ethereum’s development team is conducting comprehensive devnet testing with the complete suite of proposed protocol modifications
- The Glamsterdam upgrade represents Ethereum’s most substantial protocol evolution since transitioning to proof-of-stake in 2022
- Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS) will integrate block construction directly into Ethereum’s base layer
- Block-level Access Lists enable blocks to specify required data upfront, accelerating transaction processing
- Updated gas pricing will reduce costs for computational operations while increasing expenses for on-chain data storage
The Ethereum network’s highly anticipated Glamsterdam upgrade has reached a critical milestone in its development timeline. Core developers are currently operating private testing environments known as devnets, incorporating the complete range of protocol enhancements scheduled for implementation.
Parithosh Jayanthi, who serves as both a core developer and DevOps engineer within the Ethereum Foundation, provided confirmation of this significant progress.
“Our current focus involves running devnets that include all the EIPs,” he explained. “This represents the final development stage before we proceed to hardening processes and subsequently deploying to public testnets.”
While an exact activation date remains unconfirmed, current projections indicate the upgrade will deploy sometime during the latter half of 2026.
Ethereum’s Most Ambitious Update Since Proof-of-Stake Transition
Jayanthi characterized Glamsterdam as “likely the most comprehensive fork we’ve implemented since the Merge.” The Merge, which occurred in 2022, fundamentally transformed Ethereum by transitioning the network from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake consensus.
He further noted that this upgrade will “fundamentally alter numerous core assumptions regarding Ethereum’s operation and establish the foundation for significantly enhanced scaling capabilities moving forward.”
Glamsterdam arrives on the heels of the Fusaka upgrade, which went live in December 2025. While Fusaka concentrated on fundamental protocol improvements, Glamsterdam aims to implement more profound structural modifications to Ethereum’s base layer infrastructure.
The upgrade encompasses three primary technical innovations designed to work synergistically, optimizing network performance and efficiency.
Integrating Block Construction Into Base Protocol Layer
The first cornerstone modification involves enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation, documented as EIP-7732.
Currently, the mechanisms governing transaction block construction and proposal largely operate outside the main chain. This external arrangement raises trust issues and creates vulnerabilities related to maximal extractable value, commonly abbreviated as MEV.
EIP-7732 addresses these concerns by embedding this functionality directly within Ethereum’s foundational protocol layer. The primary objective centers on establishing more equitable block production processes while minimizing exploitation opportunities.
The second fundamental modification introduces Block-level Access Lists, documented as EIP-7928. This mechanism allows individual blocks to preemptively specify which account addresses and smart contract storage they’ll require access to.
By declaring these requirements upfront, Ethereum clients can preload necessary information before execution begins, eliminating the need for real-time data retrieval. This optimization results in accelerated block processing and enhanced predictability.
The third component comprises extensive gas pricing adjustments. Gas represents Ethereum’s method for calculating and charging transaction fees based on computational resource consumption.
Following implementation, computationally intensive operations will see reduced costs. Conversely, storing information directly on-chain will incur higher fees.
“This represents a transformative shift in how actions are priced on Ethereum,” Jayanthi noted. “Complex computational tasks become more affordable while state storage grows more costly.”
These pricing adjustments are additionally engineered to enhance Ethereum’s compatibility with zero-knowledge proof systems, which form the backbone of contemporary Layer 2 scaling technologies.
Development teams are presently conducting thorough testing, finalizing technical specifications, and engaging with the broader Ethereum community to clarify how these pricing modifications will impact both end users and application developers.
The roadmap ahead involves transitioning from private devnets to publicly accessible testnets before ultimately launching on the main network.
Get 3 Free Stock Ebooks
Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis.
- Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies
- Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders
- Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants
