Ethereum Glamsterdam Upgrade Aims to Improve Network Capacity and Efficiency
The next big upgrade for the Ethereum network is Ethereum Glamsterdam, which aims to improve the execution layer and consensus layer. The upgrade is a result of two smaller components: Amsterdam, which improves the execution layer, and Gloria, which enhances the consensus layer. These components work together to speed up, level up, and make the growth of Ethereum easier and fairer.
Ethereum Glamsterdam has been one of the largest stories in the open crypto market in 2026. The network handles most transactions one by one, but the upgrade tries to solve this problem inside the network itself. Testing is now in its final stage, so the upgrade has moved from a long-term idea to a real event on the calendar.
The upgrade has five steps. First, developers pick the changes to be implemented. Then, small test networks run the new code to identify bugs and clashes between software clients. Next, public testnets switch the upgrade on, allowing node operators, wallets, and apps to test it in a real environment. Once the tests on the testnet are clean, the developers choose a date for the mainnet, and client teams release their final software. Finally, node operators update validators and node runners install the new software before the upgrade goes live.
Ethereum Glamsterdam has two key features: enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) and block-level access lists (BALs). ePBS puts the split between proposing a block and building it into Ethereum's own rules, reducing the need for outside relays. BALs list in advance which accounts and storage each block will touch, allowing software clients to handle many transactions at the same time and load data faster.