Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade enters final development stage

Ethereum’s dev teams have begun the final devnet testing of the Glamsterdam upgrade, the most extensive protocol change since the Merge, keeping the mainnet launch slated for the second half of 2026 while ETH hovers around $2,200 [3].

Final devnet testing and upgrade scope

Developers are now running closed‑environment devnets that include all planned EIPs—EIP‑7732 (enshrined proposer‑builder separation) and EIP‑7928 (block‑level access lists)—before moving to public testnets. The upgrade aims to cut transaction fees by roughly 78 % and boost throughput toward a target of 10,000 tx/s, a stark contrast to Ethereum’s current capacity of about 30 tx/s [1]. If successful, the changes could reduce reliance on external block‑building relays and enable parallel execution of transactions within blocks.

Market context and price outlook

Ethereum entered 2026 down 23 % in Q1, trading near $2,200, which is about $800 below the $3,000 level many institutional investors watch [2]. The coin has shown only a modest 5 % gain so far in Q2, staying below its 200‑day moving average of $2,335 and with the MACD in bearish territory [2]. Spot ETH ETFs have seen volatile flows—over $250 million entered in early May but have since turned into outflows—so ETF activity alone is unlikely to push ETH past the $2,500 resistance without a concrete upgrade milestone [2].

Potential price scenarios

Analysts outline three scenarios tied to Glamsterdam’s progress. A bull case ($2,800‑$3,000) hinges on a confirmed mainnet date before June and sustained ETF inflows; a base case ($2,300‑$2,600) reflects current technical weakness and modest inflows; a bear case ($1,800‑$2,100) assumes delay or widening ETH/BTC divergence [2]. The most likely outcome, according to the same source, is the base range, aligning with the upgrade’s technical benefits but limited immediate demand shift.

What to watch

• $2,300 resistance – the 200‑day moving average; a break could signal the start of a bullish swing.
• Mid‑2026 mainnet launch – confirmation of a concrete date before June would provide a tangible catalyst.
• ETF flow thresholds – sustained weekly inflows above $250 million could bolster price momentum.

The significance of Glamsterdam lies in its potential to reshape Ethereum’s Layer 1 economics, but the market will likely price the upgrade gradually, testing whether the technical gains translate into lasting demand for ETH.