Ethereum is preparing one of its biggest upgrades since Dencun, and this time the focus is not on Layer-2 networks. The upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade aims to make Ethereum more faster, cheaper, and capable of handling significantly more activity directly on Layer 1.
With testing ongoing, developers say it could lay the foundation for Ethereum’s next phase of growth
Glamsterdam combines Ethereum’s execution-layer upgrade “Amsterdam,” and consensus-layer upgrade “Gloas.”
Building on the progress made by Fusaka, Glamsterdam focuses on Ethereum’s “Scale L1” and “Scale Blobs” goals. It aims to help Ethereum process transactions, store data, and validate blocks.
The goal is to increase network capacity while keeping fees low and maintaining decentralization.
According to Ethereum Foundation developer Parithosh Jayanthi, developers are already running test networks containing all planned Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), marking the final development stage before public testnet deployment.
If testing continues without major issues, Glamsterdam is expected to activate during the second half of 2026.
The Glamsterdam upgrade is built around three major changes, i.e, speed, scale, and sustainability.
First, developers want Ethereum to process multiple transactions at the same time instead of handling them one by one.
Secondly, the upgrade will improve how blocks are created and verified, allowing Ethereum to handle more data and support more activity without slowing down.
Lastly, Ethereum is also looking to better manage data storage costs. This helps prevent the blockchain from becoming too large while keeping the network efficient for years to come.
To make these improvements possible, Ethereum developers are considering two major upgrades, i.e, Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS) and Block-Level Access Lists (BALs).
The first, ePBS (EIP-7732), changes how Ethereum creates and validates blocks. Today, the network relies on external systems and third-party relays to coordinate block builders and validators.
Glamsterdam would bring this process directly into Ethereum’s protocol, reducing reliance on outside infrastructure.
The second, BALs (EIP-7928), is focused on speeding up transactions. BALs would help the network identify which transactions can be handled at the same time, allowing Ethereum to process more activity without slowing down.
Actually, Glamsterdam is not a price-focused upgrade, so it won’t automatically send Ethereum higher in a day.
But this upgrade to the proposal aims roposal aims to reduce the cost of simple ETH transfers by up to 71%.
The upgrade comes at a time when institutional interest in Ethereum is growing through spot ETH ETFs and tokenized asset projects.
As of now, the Ethereum price is trading around $1764, still down by 56% from its ATH price.
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