Overview of Glamsterdam Upgrade
Published 7/7/2026, 12:23:09 PM
The Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade is a major protocol overhaul scheduled for H2 2026 (target: late August to September 2026) that is expected to significantly reduce Layer 1 (L1) gas fees for most transactions [Source: https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/glamsterdam/]. By combining a massive gas limit increase with parallel execution and opcode repricing, the upgrade aims for a projected ~78.6% reduction in general L1 fees [Source: https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/glamsterdam/].
Overview of Glamsterdam Upgrade
Glamsterdam is a "hard fork" consisting of two primary components: Amsterdam (Execution Layer changes) and Gloas (Consensus Layer changes) [Source: https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/ethereum-glamsterdam-upgrade-explained]. As of July 2026, the upgrade is in its final devnet testing phase, with public testnet activations (Sepolia and Hoodi) expected in the coming weeks [Source: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/16/ethereums-biggest-protocol-overhaul-moves-into-final-stage/].
Key EIPs Impacting Gas Dynamics
The upgrade introduces several Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that fundamentally restructure how gas is consumed and priced:
| EIP | Name | Impact on Gas/Fees |
|---|---|---|
| EIP-7780 | Gas Limit Increase | Raises the block gas limit from ~60M to 200M (~3.3x increase), expanding capacity [Source: https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/ethereum-glamsterdam-upgrade-explained]. |
| EIP-7904 | General Gas Repricing | Realigns opcode costs with modern hardware; projected to reduce L1 fees by ~78.6% [Source: https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/glamsterdam/]. |
| EIP-7928 | Block-Level Access Lists | Enables parallel transaction execution, targeting a throughput of 10,000 TPS [Source: https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/glamsterdam/]. |
| EIP-8037 | State Creation Gas Increase | Increases the cost of creating new state data (e.g., new accounts) to prevent state bloat [Source: https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/ethereum-glamsterdam-upgrade-explained]. |
| EIP-7732 | Enshrined PBS (ePBS) | Moves block building into the protocol, reducing MEV manipulation by up to 70% [Source: https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/glamsterdam/]. |
Projected Impact on Gas Fees
The impact of Glamsterdam on gas fees is expected to be largely positive for end-users, though it varies by transaction type:
- General Reductions: Simple ETH transfers are projected to see fee reductions of up to 71%, while complex smart contract interactions could see the full ~78.6% reduction due to EIP-7904 [Source: https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/glamsterdam/].
- Reduced Congestion Spikes: By increasing the gas limit to 200M and implementing parallel execution, the network can handle roughly 3.3x more transactions per block. This is intended to dampen the "bidding wars" that typically cause gas price spikes during high-demand periods [Source: https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/ethereum-glamsterdam-upgrade-explained].
- Layer 2 (L2) Benefits: Lower L1 costs will directly reduce data availability expenses for rollups (e.g., Arbitrum, Optimism, Base), likely leading to even lower fees for L2 users [Source: https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/glamsterdam/].
- Selective Increases: To ensure long-term sustainability, EIP-8037 will make operations that create new state (like deploying new contracts or opening new accounts) more expensive [Source: https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/ethereum-glamsterdam-upgrade-explained].
Conclusion
Glamsterdam represents a strategic shift toward scaling Ethereum's Layer 1 directly. While it is expected to lower the cost of most standard transactions by over 70%, it will simultaneously increase the cost of state-heavy operations to manage the network's long-term growth. The upgrade is currently on track for a late Q3 or Q4 2026 mainnet release [Source: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/06/16/ethereums-biggest-protocol-overhaul-moves-into-final-stage/].