Glamsterdam Upgrade Aims to Boost Ethereum Scalability and Sustainability
The Ethereum network is set to undergo its most significant protocol-level overhaul since The Merge, known as Glamsterdam. This upgrade aims to advance L1 scalability by reorganizing how the network processes transactions and manages its growing database.
Two flagship proposals are being implemented: ePBS (EIP-7732), which replaces the 'outsourced intermediary' with 'built-in rules', and BALs (EIP-7928), which enables parallel processing of transactions by allowing nodes to share access lists. These proposals aim to accelerate transaction processing, improve scalability, and ensure sustainability.
Glamsterdam has also bundled two companion proposals: recalibrating storage fees to accurately reflect the actual space consumed, and raising query fees to better align with real computational loads. The mainnet launch date for Glamsterdam remains uncertain, with a previous target of September 16, 2026, now likely delayed due to ongoing development.