Ethereum developers have hit the pause button on the Glamsterdam upgrade, just four days before its planned launch on the Hoodi test network. The delay, announced on October 22, 2026, stems from concerns over EIP-8037, a proposal aimed at changing how Ethereum prices gas. Developers need more time to assess how this change could impact existing smart contracts on the main network. Meanwhile, ETH is trading at $2,388, reflecting an 11% drop in October.
Glamsterdam combines two upgrades, Amsterdam and Gloas, to boost Ethereum’s performance. The upgrade introduces enshrined proposer-builder separation (EIP-7732), which splits block production into two roles: a builder collects transactions, and a validator proposes the block. This division aims to reduce reliance on trusted middleware and give validators more time to verify blocks. Another feature, block-level access lists (EIP-7928), speeds up transaction validation by allowing node software to process transactions in parallel.
The delay was triggered by a ChainSecurity report on October 13, which warned that the combination of EIP-8037 and EIP-8038 could alter how contracts behave when they run out of gas. The report highlighted that a retryable operation might fail permanently, even if the contract code remains unchanged. Core developers evaluated this finding during the All Core Devs Execution call #248 and opted to delay the upgrade.
The Ethereum Foundation has not set a new date for the Hoodi launch or the mainnet activation. The delay raises doubts about the proposed mainnet launch dates of December 1, 8, and 9. While the Foundation has not indicated whether EIP-8037 will be revised or discarded, the pause highlights the network’s commitment to security, even if it delays one of ETH’s key anticipated catalysts.