Ethereum schedules Glamsterdam upgrade on Sepolia testnet for October 6
Ethereum developers have announced that the network's next major upgrade, Glamsterdam, is scheduled to activate on the Sepolia testnet on October 6. Sepolia node operators are required to update both their execution-layer and consensus-layer clients before the upgrade. Glamsterdam introduces enshrined proposer-builder separation and updates gas pricing mechanisms to better match data costs on Ethereum.
Key Features of Glamsterdam
A central feature of Glamsterdam is the implementation of enshrined proposer-builder separation, moving the interaction between specialized block builders and validators into Ethereum's protocol itself, thereby reducing dependence on external middleware.
The upgrade will introduce block-level access lists that log accounts and storage locations used in each block. Additionally, it will adjust gas pricing to more accurately represent the costs of data creation and access on Ethereum. Smart contracts relying on fixed gas stipends or hardcoded gas limits may need modifications as a result.
Rollout Plans and Future Developments
The dates for Glamsterdam's rollout on the validator-centric Hoodi testnet and mainnet have not yet been set. The subsequent upgrade, Hegotá, is targeted for 2027.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has indicated that Hegotá might be the network's last “normal” fork, after which development is expected to focus on recursive STARKs, automated formal verification, consensus optimization, and quantum-safe cryptography.
Why it matters
This news is significant as the Glamsterdam upgrade represents an important step in Ethereum's evolution, featuring major changes to block structure and gas mechanisms. The adoption of enshrined proposer-builder separation reduces centralization risks, while updated gas pricing may impact smart contract developers. The plans following Glamsterdam, including Hegotá, indicate a shift towards advanced security and verification technologies, critical for the network's future scalability and resilience.
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