Ethereum’s Glamsterdam test runs near 200 million gas per block after upgrade
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Summary
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade has increased the gas limit on the Sepolia test network to nearly 200 million gas, up from about 60 million gas. Developers are testing this change to enable the blockchain to accommodate more payments and trades. Early test blocks used only 26% to 46% of the increased capacity, and a six-minute voting period achieved 99.97% finality from eligible stake. The upgrade also modifies transaction processing and data-access costs, with a tentative next public testnet called Hoodi planned for October 27 and no set mainnet activation date.
Why it matters
The source indicates that this upgrade could allow Ethereum to handle more network activity before transaction fees rise due to competition for block space. By increasing the processing limit and changing how gas costs are calculated, the update aims to improve the blockchain's capacity and efficiency. However, the source does not elaborate on the broader market or user impact beyond these technical improvements.
Key context
The upgrade was first activated on the Sepolia testnet, which is used for experimentation with software changes prior to mainnet deployment. The increased gas limit allows more computing work per block, and the upgrade introduces changes in how Ethereum nodes share transaction assembly and validation tasks. It also includes a new mechanism for prefetching account and state information to enable parallel transaction processing. Developers are required to retest applications due to the adjusted gas costs for data storage and access.
Key numbers and entities
The key entities mentioned are Ethereum, the Sepolia test network, and the testing group ethPandaOps. The gas limit was raised from about 60 million gas to nearly 200 million gas per block. Test blocks observed used between 52 million and 92 million gas, equivalent to 26% to 46% of the total allowance. The six-minute voting period produced 32 blocks with 99.97% stake finality. The next public testnet, Hoodi, is tentatively scheduled for October 27.
What remains unclear
The source does not specify when the Glamsterdam upgrade will be activated on the Ethereum mainnet. It also does not provide details on the long-term effects on network security or the specific impact on user transaction fees. Furthermore, the level of strain the increased capacity may place on network hardware under full usage conditions remains undetermined.