Ethereum's core developers have decided to postpone the rollout of the highly anticipated Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi testnet after identifying potential flaws in the gas collection logic. This move aims to mitigate technical incompatibilities in smart contracts already deployed before bringing the changes to the mainnet.
This decision prioritizes ecosystem security and the operational stability of decentralized applications, delaying the planned schedule until the proposed improvements involved are fully audited and adjusted.
The decision to pause Glamsterdam on the Hoodi testnet
The Ethereum core development team announced that the The Glamsterdam branch in the Hoodi test network will remain postponed indefinitely until certain vulnerabilities detected in eight smart contract invariants are resolved. After having previously deployed the update on the Sepolia testnet on October 6, 2026, technical testing revealed that some modifications to the virtual machine could have detrimental side effects on the existing decentralized infrastructure.
The Ethereum Foundation explained in its official statement on November 6, 2026, that the suspension is due to two fundamental proposals: EIP-8037 and EIP-8038. These initiatives alter the computational fee structure for specific operations, which clashes with the internal design of numerous decentralized applications that rely on fixed assumptions about gas costs. The Hoodi testnet, designed to faithfully replicate mainnet operating conditions, will remain offline until a verified technical solution is available.
The ChainSecurity report and the impact of gas
The formal trigger for this technical pause comes from an audit report published on October 13, 2026, by the specialized firm ChainSecurity. The firm detected that both EIP-8037 and EIP-8038 introduce variations in how computational consumption is billed during failed executions or when making external calls. Historically, many developers have programmed smart contracts assuming strict, fixed gas limits to prevent reentrant attacks or to ensure that certain calls roll back in a controlled manner.
Changing the cost-per-transaction parameters could break contracts operating on these predefined assumptions, leading to fund lock-ups or other unanticipated anomalous behavior. The network developers have determined that forcing a fork without recalibrating the proposals would unnecessarily expose established projects. To better understand how these transactions are structured and executed at a technical level, you can consult the educational resources available at [link to resources]. Bit2Me Academy.
Glamsterdam's objectives and the Layer 1 roadmap
Despite this setback in the testnets, the Glamsterdam upgrade remains a cornerstone for Ethereum Layer 1 scalability. Initially unveiled by the Ethereum Foundation on September 28, 2026, the upgrade aims to implement the enshrined Propositor-Builder Separation (ePBS), block-level access lists, and a gas pricing scheme that more accurately reflects the actual cost of executing operations on validator nodes.
The ultimate goal of these developments is to optimize the performance of the underlying protocol without compromising its decentralization, laying the necessary technical groundwork for the capacity challenges anticipated by 2028. However, the developers of the consensus and execution layers have reiterated that no performance improvement justifies jeopardizing backward compatibility or the integrity of contracts already operating on the mainnet.
Regulatory relevance and ecosystem security
The cautious stance of the Ethereum developer community reflects the maturity of an infrastructure that underpins hundreds of billions of euros in economic value. Within the European Union, the MiCA Regulation framework requires cryptocurrency service providers to operate under rigorous due diligence and technological risk management standards, making the stability of the underlying protocols more crucial than ever.
Those who decide to manage or buy Ethereum To build their digital asset portfolios, they value technical governance processes that prioritize operational resilience over time-sensitive deadlines. The ability to detect potential flaws early in testing environments like Hoodi and Sepolia confirms the value of thorough auditing processes in the crypto sector.
FAQ
Why has the Glamsterdam junction at Hoodi been postponed?
Implementation has been paused to address technical concerns related to proposals EIP-8037 and EIP-8038. These proposals modify the gas cost structure, which could disrupt the operation of certain existing smart contracts that rely on fixed costs for external calls.
Does this delay affect the Ethereum mainnet?
Not immediately. The Ethereum mainnet continues to operate normally. The delay only affects the testing phase on Hoodi, allowing developers to analyze the code and make corrections before setting a final mainnet launch date.
What technical objectives does the Glamsterdam upgrade pursue?
Glamsterdam seeks to improve Layer 1 efficiency by integrating expositor-builder separation (ePBS), block-level access lists, and more efficient and realistic gas pricing based on the computational demands of each operation.
The precautionary suspension of Glamsterdam on the Hoodi testnet demonstrates once again the technical rigor that guides Ethereum's evolution. Prioritizing the correction of vulnerabilities in contract invariants before going live protects the decentralized ecosystem and the millions of users who operate on it daily.
As technical teams and independent auditors evaluate solutions for EIP-8037 and EIP-8038, the crypto community will continue to closely monitor the progress of the test networks as an indispensable step towards secure integration into the main network.
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