Ethereum Warns 'Any Teenager' Can Disrupt Upcoming Glamsterdam Test
Ethereum developers have warned that a simple attack could disrupt an upcoming test of the network's Glamsterdam upgrade. During Thursday's core developer call, consensus developer Potuz stated that 'any teenager' could exploit free test ether and disposable builder identities to win Sepolia block auctions and withhold transaction payloads.
The attack would not put mainnet funds at risk, but it could leave blocks without transaction payloads and derail infrastructure testing needed before Glamsterdam reaches Ethereum itself. The upgrade aims to fit more activity into each block without overwhelming the computers that verify it, with a goal of supporting a block gas limit of about 200 million.
Developers are concerned because existing safeguards typically fall back to locally built blocks only after several payloads go missing. Potuz emphasized the need for clients to identify and reject individual builders so an attacker cannot return under a new identity and continue winning.
The warning came as Ethereum confirmed the dates for its Glamsterdam test, which is scheduled for Oct. 6. Client teams now have until Sept. 29 to release Sepolia-ready software, with Hoodi testing tentatively set for Oct. 27 and mainnet activation remaining unscheduled.