Ethereum Unveils Glamsterdam Upgrade: Block Validation and Capacity Boost

Ethereum is gearing up for its next significant base-layer upgrade, dubbed Glamsterdam, scheduled to take place in the second half of 2026. This major overhaul will increase the network's capacity and make it more favorable to validators, developers, and decentralized applications.

The upgrade focuses primarily on block validation, with two key features leading the way: Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (EIP-7732) and Block-Level Access Lists (EIP-7928). EIP-7732 splits up block creation and validation, allowing validators to use the protocol for creating blocks and increasing efficiency. Block-Level Access Lists make access lists mandatory for entire blocks, speeding up processing in parallel and lowering gas fees.

Ten new Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) are scheduled for implementation on the next devnet, including EIP-7708, which defines ETH transfer logs structure, and EIP-7954, increasing smart contract size from 24 KiB to 64 KiB. Additionally, enhancements related to gas metering, call data, instruction sets, and state handling are planned.

Developers can expect reduced costs and simpler app development processes due to the upgrade's improvements. Faster block production for validators and stable fees for users may also be a result of Glamsterdam. The upgrade provides a glimpse into Ethereum's future development plans beyond The Merge.