Glamsterdam Testnet Live: Ethereum Prepares for Major Upgrade

Ethereum has launched its Plataberget public testnet, marking the beginning of testing for the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade. The testnet will serve as a platform for developers to experiment with major changes to Ethereum's block building, gas rules, and data access system before they move to longer-running networks.

The Glamsterdam fork is set for August 20, 2026, and Plataberget will give validators, developers, and other users more time to test the changes. The network is expected to use about 50,000 validators across roughly 50 nodes, with different client combinations being tested.

One of the most significant changes for everyday users is the way Ethereum handles basic ETH transfers. Sending ETH to a new account will require extra state gas because the transaction creates new data on Ethereum, which could affect wallets and other tools that assume every ETH transfer has the same gas cost.