The Ethereum Foundation has officially scheduled the Glamsterdam upgrade for the Hoodi testnet, following its successful activation on the Sepolia network on October 6. Glamsterdam is a key milestone in Ethereum’s Layer‑1 scaling roadmap, incorporating several technical changes that aim to improve network efficiency and security.
At the core of Glamsterdam is the enshrined proposer‑builder separation (PBS), a mechanism that separates the roles of block proposers and builders. By decoupling these functions, the upgrade seeks to reduce front‑running opportunities and enhance decentralization. In addition, block‑level access lists are introduced, allowing validators to declare which addresses will interact with a block. This feature reduces unnecessary state transitions and can lower gas consumption for certain transaction types.
Another significant change is the revision of gas pricing. The new model aligns gas costs more closely with the actual execution and state‑growth expenses incurred by the network. This adjustment is expected to provide a more accurate economic signal for developers and users, potentially leading to more efficient contract deployment and operation.
Deploying Glamsterdam on Hoodi gives the community a realistic environment to validate the upgrade’s performance and security before it is rolled out to mainnet. Developers can now test how PBS, access lists, and the new gas pricing interact with existing contracts and tooling. The testnet also offers an opportunity to identify and resolve any edge‑case issues that may arise during the upgrade.
The move to Hoodi underscores Ethereum’s commitment to incremental, well‑tested upgrades. By allowing the community to experiment with the new features in a controlled setting, the Foundation aims to reduce the risk of unforeseen disruptions once Glamsterdam is activated on mainnet.
In summary, the Glamsterdam upgrade’s arrival on the Hoodi testnet marks a critical step toward a more scalable, secure, and economically sound Ethereum. Stakeholders are encouraged to participate in testing and provide feedback to ensure a smooth transition to the mainnet.