Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade enters final testing with major improvements, including ePBS, Block-Level Access Lists, lower fees, faster processing, and better staking.
Ethereum is preparing for its next major network upgrade, known as Glamsterdam. The upgrade is the combination of the execution layer upgrade “Amsterdam,” and the consensus layer upgrade “Gloas.”
With this upgrade, developers believe Ethereum can process more transactions faster, support higher capacity, and run more efficiently.
Ethereum has grown huge over the past few years. And as of now, the network supports billions of dollars in decentralized finance, stablecoins, tokenized assets, gaming applications, and Layer-2 ecosystems.
However, more activity also creates new challenges.
Today, Ethereum processes transactions in a mostly sequential manner. Validators often have only about two seconds to receive, verify, and broadcast block information across the network.
This limits how much data Ethereum can safely process. And that's where the Glamsterdam upgrade comes, it aims to remove many of these problems.
Ethereum Foundation developer Parithosh Jayanthi's team is currently running private developer networks, known as devnets, that include all planned Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) expected to be part of the upgrade.
This is one of the final steps before the code is frozen and deployed to public test networks.
One of the most important proposals in Glamsterdam is Enshrined Proposal Builder Separation, or ePBS.
Currently, Ethereum relies on third party software such as MEVBoost to coordinate between block builders and validators. Developers want to bring this process directly into Ethereum's protocol.
The Glamsterdam upgrade separates the job of creating blocks from the job of proposing them while removing some dependence on external middleware.
More importantly, it expands Ethereum's data propagation window from roughly two seconds to around nine seconds. That additional time allows Ethereum to handle larger blocks and more data without placing extra pressure on validators.
Another major feature is Block-Level Access Lists, known as BALs. Today, Ethereum must process transactions one at a time because the network cannot immediately determine which data each transaction will modify.
BALs solve that problem by providing a map of all accounts and storage changes before execution begins. This allows validators to identify transactions that do not conflict with one another and process them more efficiently.
While Ethereum will not become fully parallel overnight, BALs lay the foundation for future upgrades that could increase transaction throughput.
Glamsterdam also includes several user focused improvements. One proposal could cut the cost of simple ETH transfers by up to 71%, while other changes aim to make wallets, transfers, and multi-chain interactions much easier for everyday users.
Developers are also introducing a deterministic deployment system that could allow users to have the same smart wallet address across Ethereum and multiple Layer-2 networks.
Glamsterdam also includes changes aimed at improving Ethereum's staking system. One proposal prevents slashed validators from being selected to propose future blocks, helping the network recover faster during major disruptions.
Another proposal improves withdrawal queues by allowing regular stakers to use unused consolidation capacity.
According to Ethereum developers, this could speed up withdrawal processing by up to 2.5 times during periods of heavy demand.
Unlike ETF approvals or major corporate partnerships, Glamsterdam is not the type of event that immediately drives the Ethereum price up.
However, developers believe it could be one of Ethereum's most important upgrades in years because it addresses the network's long-term growth.
Meanwhile, the Ethereum price will see its impact over time, as of now, it's trading around $1764.
If testing remains successful, Ethereum users may begin seeing the first public testnet deployments during the second half of 2026.
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