Ethereum confirms Glamsterdam dates, but warns 'fake' builders could stall the chain
Reported by CoinDesk · AI-assisted summary by ChikoCorp AI News Desk
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Summary
Ethereum developers confirmed an Oct. 6 public test of the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Sepolia test network while warning that attackers could exploit free test ether and disposable builder identities to repeatedly win block auctions and withhold transaction payloads. This attack would not endanger mainnet funds but could disrupt essential infrastructure testing. Following Sepolia, a Hoodi test is tentatively planned for Oct. 27, with no mainnet activation date scheduled yet.
Why it matters
The source highlights that this potential attack could stall the testing phase of Glamsterdam by leaving blocks without transaction payloads, jeopardizing the reliability of network upgrades. It underscores the necessity for client software to identify and reject malicious builders to safeguard the testing process. No direct explanation is given about broader market or user impacts.
Key context
Glamsterdam is a major Ethereum upgrade aiming to increase block capacity and improve gas pricing to support around 200 million gas units per block. The upgrade formalizes the relationship between validators and specialized builders who compete to assemble transaction blocks, with the winning builder expected to reveal the underlying transactions. The Sepolia testnet uses free test ether which can be exploited to manipulate block auctions, unlike mainnet where funds have value.
Key numbers and entities
The Sepolia public test is scheduled for Oct. 6; Hoodi public testing is planned for Oct. 27. Developer teams Titan and Ultrasound are mentioned as operators of production builder software that has not yet transitioned to Glamsterdam. Ethereum consensus developer Potuz is quoted regarding the attack scenario.
What remains unclear
The source does not specify measures clients will implement to effectively prevent or mitigate malicious builder attacks. It also does not provide a date for Glamsterdam’s mainnet activation or clarify how vulnerabilities identified during testnet phases might delay the upgrade timeline.