Glamsterdam: what Ethereum's next upgrade means for beginners
The upgrade is planned for the second half of 2026 and aims to expand network capacity without requiring an ETH swap.
An infrastructure upgrade
Glamsterdam is Ethereum's next major planned upgrade, expected in the second half of 2026. Its focus is on reorganizing how the network creates, distributes and verifies blocks so it can support more capacity without making nodes excessively heavy to operate.
Some proposals are still being evaluated and can change before activation. It should therefore be followed as an ongoing technical process, not as a price promise or an immediate solution to every fee issue.
What may improve
The roadmap points to more efficient processing, greater capacity and controls on the growth of network data. For everyday users, these changes may create room for more efficient transfers and simpler applications over time, but the result depends on implementation and adoption.
Do ETH holders need to do anything?
People who simply hold ETH do not need to convert, migrate or send coins to receive the upgrade. Requests to “upgrade” ETH are scams. Node operators and validators should follow the official software guidance for the tools they use.
Source: Ethereum.org, Glamsterdam roadmap. Reviewed on July 22, 2026.
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