Ethereum Pauses Glamsterdam Test Over Contract Risk
Ethereum paused a planned Glamsterdam upgrade test on its Hoodi network after researchers spotted a gas-calculation flaw that could lock failed contract actions into permanent record. Wallet holders using everyday DeFi apps built on current gas rules should pay attention before this reaches Ethereum's main network.
What actually happened
The test was set for 26 October 2026 at 17:42:48 UTC on Hoodi, Ethereum's public test network. Developers postponed it during Thursday's All Core Devs Execution call, CoinDesk reported. Security firm ChainSecurity warned on 13 October 2026 that two code changes, EIP-8037 and EIP-8038, could alter how contracts behave when they run out of gas mid-transaction. ChainSecurity calculated that writing a new storage entry could cost 110,020 gas under the new rules, up from 22,100 gas today. No new Hoodi test date has been set, and Ethereum has not confirmed a mainnet date for Glamsterdam. ETH traded near $2,400 (USD) on 23 October 2026, up 0.22% over 24 hours, per CoinGecko data cited by CoinDesk.
How we got here
Glamsterdam is Ethereum's next major upgrade, changing how block builders get picked and letting blocks hold more data. It cleared earlier testing on Sepolia on 6 October 2026. Hoodi was meant to be the next rehearsal, alongside a planned jump to a 200 million gas block limit. The pause follows a separate proposal from researcher Ben Edgington, published 21 October 2026, aiming to cut Ethereum's settlement time from about 16 minutes to roughly four minutes. Both efforts are part of Ethereum's push to scale without breaking apps already running.
Why this matters for you
For everyday wallet users, nothing changes today. Balances, swaps, and transfers on Ethereum keep working as before, since Glamsterdam never reached mainnet. The real impact falls on app builders, whose contracts may need retesting if they depend on gas running out to cancel failed transactions. If the four-minute settlement proposal advances, cross-chain transfers, including routes bonuz users rely on, could eventually get cheaper and faster. For now, the delay shows upgrades get tested publicly before touching anyone's holdings, which is the safety check working as intended.
The bigger question
Ethereum's testing process caught this gas-accounting risk before it reached a live network holding real funds. That is reassuring, but it raises a bigger question. As Ethereum stacks more upgrades touching gas rules, settlement speed, and contract behavior, can internal testing keep pace, or will users increasingly rely on outside security firms to catch what official review misses?
What to watch
No new Hoodi test date exists yet, and Ethereum has not confirmed a Glamsterdam mainnet date. The four-minute finality idea still needs a formal proposal number before a vote. Separately, Uniswap Labs turned on aggregator hooks across Ethereum, Base, and Robinhood Chain this week, per The Block. Watch for the next All Core Devs call for a new timeline.
