The Ethereum Foundation has postponed the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi testnet, previously scheduled for October 26, 2026. The delay follows an All Core Developers Execution call on October 22, as developers seek additional time to review how EIP-8037 interacts with smart contracts already running on mainnet.
The postponement also removes a planned increase in Hoodi's gas limit to 200 million. No replacement activation date has been announced.
EIP-8037 Gas Pricing Changes
EIP-8037 modifies gas charges for creating permanent blockchain data, including new accounts, contract code, and storage entries. The proposal aims to manage database growth as Ethereum expands capacity.
The upgrade separates state creation costs from execution costs, allowing larger contract deployments while preserving limits on computational work. A dedicated gas reserve covers state creation charges first, with execution work drawing from a separate allowance.
Compatibility Testing and Contract Impact
Earlier testing revealed potential compatibility concerns. In August, Ethereum Foundation teams replayed historical mainnet transactions under the revised gas rules. Most transactions showed no change, though some required higher gas limits to complete. A smaller group still failed after substantial increases, often involving contracts that relied on fixed gas allowances or code checking remaining gas.
The Foundation determined the large majority of contracts were unaffected by the proposed changes. Teams began contacting builders facing the greatest impact.
Requirements for Node and Validator Operators
Hoodi node and validator operators must review revised client instructions before October 26. Both execution and consensus software must reflect the removed activation. Custom network configurations also require updating to match the revised schedule.
ETH holders do not need to take any action. The postponement affects only the testing network and does not reverse existing Hoodi transactions or chain history.
Broader Protocol Changes
The Glamsterdam upgrade previously activated on Sepolia on October 6. Beyond gas pricing adjustments, the package introduces proposer and builder separation into the protocol and records which accounts and storage locations each block accesses, supporting parallel reads and transaction validation.
