Ethereum core developers have indefinitely postponed the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi testnet, which was previously scheduled to activate on October 26 at 17:42:48 UTC, to conduct further testing on EIP-8037.
Developers Roll Back Hoodi Configuration for EIP-8037 Analysis
The decision to cancel the testnet target date was announced following All Core Developers Execution (ACDE) call #248. Developers cited the necessity for deeper investigation into how EIP-8037 interacts with existing mainnet smart contracts. EIP-8037 increases the gas cost of creating state—specifically account and storage data maintained by nodes—and meters that cost independently from other state changes.
The postponement strips both the Amsterdam execution layer and Gloas consensus layer activations from Hoodi's network configuration, while also pausing a planned gas limit increase to 200M. Core developers clarified that the update represents a configuration rollback only and does not modify Hoodi's chain history. Currently, Lodestar v1.50.1 is the only listed client release reflecting the change, and no action is required from mainnet ETH holders.
Prior Devnet Issues and Market Impact
The Hoodi delay follows previous testing friction documented on September 11, when private devnets encountered finalization bugs tied to EIP-8037 before Glamsterdam successfully deployed on the Sepolia testnet on October 6. Application developers using hardcoded gas limits or fixed gas stipends have been cautioned that updates may be required before future testnet rollouts.
Following the announcement, native ETH traded near $2,400, marking a 1% 24-hour decline. The cryptocurrency remains down 4% over two weeks, nearly 14% over the past 30 days, and over 51% below its all-time high near $5,000. The weakness follows broader market movements, including Ethereum's rejection near key technical resistance levels and shifting layer-1 dynamics where platforms like Robinhood Chain generated significant debut revenue.
Key Takeaways
- Schedule Paused: The October 26 at 17:42:48 UTC Glamsterdam Hoodi target has been removed with no replacement date set.
- Proposal Focus: Devs are assessing EIP-8037, which increases and separately meters gas costs for creating network state.
- Client Status: Lodestar v1.50.1 is the primary client release updated for the rollback.
- Price Snapshot: ETH trades around $2,400, remaining 51% below its $5,000 record peak.
Why It Matters
Delaying testnet hard forks to audit EIP-8037 highlights Ethereum's cautious approach to managing state growth without breaking legacy smart contracts. Because EIP-8037 reconfigures state creation costs, uncoordinated deployment could unexpectedly break decentralized applications relying on hardcoded gas stipends. Prioritizing contract safety on testnets protects the broader mainnet ecosystem from potential execution bugs before any eventual mainnet deployment.
