Ethereum core developers have moved the Glamsterdam upgrade into its final development stage. Private devnets are currently testing the full set of planned Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). CoinDesk reported that teams are running developer networks that include all EIPs expected for the fork. The work comes before code hardening, public testnet deployment, and a mainnet date that has not yet been fixed.
Devnets Running Full EIP Set
This phase lets client teams test how Glamsterdam behaves across the complete upgrade package before wider testnets launch. Ethereum Foundation developer Parithosh Jayanthi said teams are working on devnets with “all the EIPs in them right now.” He also noted there is “no fixed timeline,” but developers have made “massive progress.” The upgrade is still expected in the second half of 2026, though final timing depends on testnet results and client readiness.
Core Proposals: ePBS and Block-Level Access Lists
Glamsterdam’s main proposals are Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS, EIP-7732) and Block-Level Access Lists (BAL, EIP-7928). ePBS moves the split between block builders and block proposers into Ethereum’s core protocol. That change aims to reduce trust in off-chain relays, make block building more transparent, and address risks tied to maximal extractable value (MEV) — where transaction ordering can create unfair trading outcomes for users.
Block-Level Access Lists let each block show in advance which accounts and smart-contract data it will use. This gives clients a clearer map before execution begins. Ethereum.org says BALs can help nodes pre-load data and process transactions in parallel when they do not touch the same state, making block processing faster and easier to optimize.
Gas Repricing: Compute Cheaper, State More Expensive
Glamsterdam also includes gas repricing changes. Jayanthi said the update will “change the cost of actions on Ethereum,” adding that “high-level compute gets cheaper and state gets more expensive.” The change aims to align fees more closely with the resources used by different operations. This could shift how developers design contracts, especially when apps create or read large amounts of permanent state data.
As previously reported by crypto.news, Ethereum’s 2026 roadmap placed Glamsterdam and Hegotá after earlier upgrades such as Pectra and Fusaka. Fusaka’s testnet rollout centered on PeerDAS and blob capacity. Glamsterdam moves the roadmap deeper into Layer 1 execution and block production changes.
Impact on Holders and Validators
Glamsterdam is Ethereum’s next planned hard fork, combining consensus-layer and execution-layer updates, with the name blending Gloas and Amsterdam. Regular ETH holders do not need to change wallets or balances. Validators and node operators will need to install updated client software before mainnet activation. Jayanthi described Glamsterdam as “probably the largest fork we’ve had since the Merge.” If testing stays stable, public testnets will be the next step before developers set a mainnet schedule.