Ethereum’s Glamsterdam Upgrade Launches on Sepolia Testnet

Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade has officially launched on the Sepolia testnet, marking a critical step toward its 2026 scaling roadmap. The upgrade, activated on October 6 at 1:53 p.m. UTC, introduces a 200 million gas limit and other key changes aimed at enhancing the network’s performance and scalability.

The upgrade includes two major features: enshrined proposer builder separation (ePBS) and block-level access lists (BALs). ePBS separates the roles of block proposers and builders, allowing for more efficient block production and validation. BALs, on the other hand, enable parallel processing of transactions, which could significantly improve Ethereum’s throughput without solely relying on gas limit increases.

Developers will now monitor the Sepolia deployment to assess its impact before setting a schedule for the Hoodi testnet activation and eventually determining the mainnet launch date. The upgrade also includes changes to gas accounting, which may require adjustments from wallets and gas tools that depend on fixed gas assumptions.

Following Glamsterdam’s mainnet activation, Ethereum development will shift toward the Hegotá upgrade, planned for 2027. Hegotá will focus on privacy, censorship resistance, and further scaling improvements, with proposals like Frame Transactions aiming to enhance transaction flexibility and security.