Ethereum's Glamsterdam Upgrade Targeted for Second Half of 2026
Ethereum is planning its Glamsterdam upgrade for the second half of 2026, combining the Gloas consensus and Amsterdam execution upgrades. Key changes include Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS) via EIP-7732, Block-Level Access Lists (BALs) for parallel transaction processing, and EIP-8037 to control state growth. Node operators must update clients, while ether holders require no action.
Glamsterdam upgrade timeline
▪The Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade combines the consensus-layer upgrade Gloas, named after a star, and the execution-layer upgrade Amsterdam, named after a former Devconnect host city.
▪In May 2026, the Ethereum Foundation tested the external-builder pipeline across nearly all clients on a multi-client devnet and aligned on a post-Glamsterdam gas-limit target of 200 million.
▪The Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade is planned for the second half of 2026, with developers working toward a fourth-quarter target.
ePBS block production mechanism
▪EIP-7732 proposes moving the external-builder pipeline into Ethereum's consensus rules under Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS).
▪Under Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS), a Payload Timeliness Committee checks if the builder revealed the payload on time and if the related blob data is available.
Block-level access lists
▪EIP-8159 is scheduled to provide the network method for Ethereum clients to exchange Block-Level Access Lists (BALs).
▪EIP-7928 is scheduled to introduce Block-Level Access Lists (BALs) to record the accounts and storage locations used in an Ethereum block.
Parallel transaction processing
▪Block-Level Access Lists (BALs) are designed to help Ethereum clients identify independent transactions to run database reads, transaction validation, and state-root calculations in parallel.
▪Block-Level Access Lists (BALs) could support executionless state updates, allowing syncing nodes to read recorded results instead of replaying every transaction.
State growth control proposals
▪EIP-8037 proposes a fixed cost for each new byte of state to target an average state growth of 120 GiB a year at a reference block gas limit of 150 million.
▪EIP-8038, which is considered but not scheduled, proposes higher charges for reading and changing Ethereum's existing state to match fees with node workloads.
Client preparation requirements
▪Ethereum holders do not need to swap, convert, or upgrade their coins, and their balances will remain accessible after the Glamsterdam fork.
▪Node operators and validators must update both execution and consensus clients to follow the upgraded Ethereum chain after the Glamsterdam fork.
Story comments
Loading comments…