Ethereum is gearing up for Glamsterdam, the upgrade that will natively integrate ePBS (EIP-7732). Discover how this technical improvement will eliminate intermediaries, combat MEV centralization, and optimize Layer 1 performance in 2026.
The Ethereum network is in the final stages of preparation for its next major technical milestone: the upgrade Glamsterdam.
Scheduled to be implemented during the first half of 2026This hard fork or hard fork It represents a concerted effort to return sovereignty to the protocol, integrating critical functions that until now depended on external infrastructure.
With the focus on the decentralization and efficiencyGlamsterdam is not just an incremental improvement, but a restructuring of the way blocks are built and validated on the world's most active blockchain.
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The technical heart of Glamsterdam is the EIP-7732, which introduces the Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS)Currently, to maximize their revenue, Ethereum validators use external software, such as MEV-Boost, which connects them to relays or intermediaries. However, Glamsterdam eliminates this need by integrating the logic for separating the proposer—who validates—and the constructor—who packages transactions—directly into the Ethereum codebase.
This "internalization" means the protocol no longer relies on third-party actors to manage the flow of transactions. By making PBS a native feature, Ethereum strengthens its censorship resistance and eliminates single points of failure. Core developers have emphasized that this architecture enables a more transparent block market, where consensus rules dictate the behavior of block builders, automatically and programmatically protecting network integrity.
In addition, ePBS introduces the Payload Timeliness Committees (PTC)These are subsets of validators responsible for confirming in real time that the builders deliver the block data within the established timeframes. This additional layer of security ensures that, even under high congestion conditions, the network maintains a predictable and robust purposelaying the foundations for a more reliable global financial infrastructure.
Combating the centralization of the MEV and empowering the validator
One of Glamsterdam's primary objectives, frequently highlighted by researchers such as Justin Drake and the network's co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, is the mitigation of the centralizing forces stemming from Maximum Extractable Value (MEV). Historically, access to sophisticated MEV strategies has favored large node operators. Glamsterdam seeks to level the playing field by standardizing the block auction process at the protocol level.
By decentralizing block building, the upcoming Ethereum upgrade will reduce the influence of large transaction aggregators. This is considered vital for maintain Ethereum's neutralityensuring that no single actor can opaquely manipulate the order of transactions for their own benefit. As Péter Szilágyi has mentioned, maintaining simplicity and transparency in the execution layer is fundamental for individual nodes to continue competing on a level playing field.
Democratizing the MEV not only protects end users from aggressive extractive practices but also incentivizes the participation of home validators. By simplifying software requirements and eliminating the configuration of external relays, Glamsterdam will reduce the technical friction of operating a node. This vision of an “Ethereum for everyone” is what drives the maturity narrative that defines this upgrade on the map. route of 2026.
Performance innovation: Parallel execution and greater efficiency
Beyond the security of consensus, Glamsterdam also introduces the EIP-7928 (Block-Level Access Lists)This improvement drastically optimizes how transactions are processed at Layer 1. By declaring in advance which parts of the network state will be modified by a block, the protocol can facilitate the parallel executionThis capability allows nodes to take advantage of modern hardware to process multiple operations simultaneously, instead of one by one.
Tim Beiko, a key figure in coordinating blockchain protocol updates, has indicated that these optimizations are necessary steps to scale Ethereum without sacrificing its decentralization. Parallel execution reduces latency and prepares the network to handle more complex transaction volumes, from high-frequency decentralized finance (DeFi) applications to large-scale on-chain identity systems.
Overall, Glamsterdam is shaping up to be the upgrade that "cleans up" Ethereum's architecture. By resolving technical debts and enshrining critical functions in the protocol, the network is positioning itself not just as an execution platform, but as a resilient and self-sustaining infrastructure.
With test networks already up and running and the technical community finalizing the last details, the ecosystem eagerly awaits the arrival of an era where trust resides purely in the code.
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