MORGANABLE BUSINESS / DIGITAL FINANCE
Ethereum developers have postponed the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi test network after security researchers warned that proposed changes could affect existing smart contracts.
Akure —
Ethereum developers have postponed the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi test network after security researchers warned that proposed changes could affect existing smart contracts.
The upgrade had been scheduled for October 26. However, developers have removed that activation date while they investigate how the changes may interact with contracts already running on Ethereum.
The Ethereum Foundation announced the delay on October 22. It said core developers agreed to investigate concerns involving EIP-8037 and its interaction with mainnet smart contracts.
The foundation has not announced a replacement date for Hoodi, and the delay does not set a new date for the main Ethereum network.
SECURITY CONCERNS PROMPT THE DELAY
The decision followed warnings from blockchain security firm ChainSecurity. Researchers examined two proposals, EIP-8037 and EIP-8038, which would change how Ethereum calculates gas costs for creating and accessing data on the blockchain. Gas is the fee users pay to process transactions and run smart contracts.
The proposals aim to make gas charges better reflect the resources that transactions consume. However, ChainSecurity warned that the changes could affect how some contracts respond when an operation runs out of gas.
That matters because many applications rely on specific failure-handling rules to protect funds and complete transactions safely.
In an assessment published on October 13, ChainSecurity explained that a failed external call could behave differently under the proposed rules.
In some cases, a contract might continue running when it would previously have stopped. As a result, an application could record an unsuccessful operation without allowing a user to try again.
Such behaviour could affect contracts that use remaining gas to decide whether an operation failed permanently or should be retried.
For example, a contract might mistakenly close a claim or disable a retry process after an operation fails.
Researchers warned that these outcomes could occur even if developers do not change the contract’s code.
CHAINSECURITY IDENTIFIES POTENTIALLY AFFECTED CONTRACTS
ChainSecurity said it had identified 13 real-world examples of contracts that could be affected and was contacting the relevant projects through a responsible disclosure process.
The firm has not publicly named those projects, allowing time for assessment before details become public.
Smart contracts power Ethereum-based services, including decentralised finance platforms, token systems, digital marketplaces and automated payment tools.
These applications execute instructions when conditions are met. Changes to failure handling could affect transactions or internal records.
Therefore, developers need to examine contracts that rely on fixed gas assumptions, limited gas allowances or particular failure responses. They may need to adjust their code or testing before the upgrade moves forward.
WHAT THE HOODI POSTPONEMENT CHANGES
Hoodi is a test network that Ethereum developers use to assess software and protocol changes before wider deployment. Glamsterdam was due to activate there on October 26.
The plan also included raising Hoodi’s gas limit to 200 million, but the postponement removes that scheduled change.
The Ethereum Foundation said the revised configuration cancels the planned execution-layer and consensus-layer activations.
It stressed that the change affects a future upgrade configuration and does not reverse Hoodi’s existing blockchain history. Developers will announce a new activation schedule after further investigation.
Node and validator operators must check that their software reflects the revised schedule. The foundation advised them to follow instructions from their client teams and not assume that software listed in the earlier announcement already includes the postponement.
Operators should check both execution-layer and consensus-layer clients, along with related validator or block-building tools.
GLAMSTERDAM REMAINS PART OF ETHEREUM’S SCALING PLAN
Glamsterdam combines changes to Ethereum’s execution and consensus layers. It includes enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists, which aim to improve how the network builds, processes and validates blocks. It also changes gas pricing.
The upgrade has already been activated on the Sepolia test network, where developers began testing it on October 6. However, that milestone does not mean the upgrade is ready for the main network.
Hoodi testing is a separate step, and the delay shows that developers are still assessing possible compatibility issues.
Before the postponement, developers had discussed several possible mainnet dates in December. Those dates remained candidates rather than confirmed launch dates.
Hoodi testing was expected to help developers decide whether they could move forward, but the security review has interrupted that process.
The Ethereum Foundation has not announced a new Hoodi date or confirmed when Glamsterdam will reach mainnet. Developers must understand the potential impact of the gas changes and decide whether they need to revise the proposals, add safeguards or conduct more testing. Until then, any suggested launch date remains uncertain.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR ETHEREUM USERS
The foundation said mainnet users and ETH holders do not need to take action because of the Hoodi postponement.
The announcement concerns a test network and does not change Ethereum’s current mainnet rules.
For application developers, the decision is a reminder to review how contracts handle failed calls and gas limits.
Teams should follow updates from the Ethereum Foundation and their security advisers, then test their applications against revised specifications before a future activation.
Users of decentralised applications should rely on official project communications for service-specific instructions.
For now, the next steps are technical review, communication with affected projects and updated guidance for Hoodi operators.
Ethereum developers have not abandoned Glamsterdam; they have paused its Hoodi activation while they investigate the concerns.
The upgrade’s eventual timing will depend on the findings and on whether developers can address the risks with confidence.
The notice makes clear the postponement affects Hoodi only. It does not roll back Sepolia’s test or change rules used by Ethereum mainnet.
Developers will publish updated instructions as client teams prepare compatible software and confirm a revised testing plan.
