Ethereum developers have made a last-minute software change ahead of a major test of the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade. The update was released late Monday through Prysm, one of the software clients used to run Ethereum. It will allow the Sepolia test network to automatically increase its maximum block capacity from 60 million gas to 200 million gas when the test begins on October 6.
The test is meant to see whether Ethereum’s computers can handle much larger blocks without creating problems for network operators. Glamsterdam is the next major Ethereum upgrade, but it has not yet gone live on the main network. The 200 million gas limit currently applies only to Sepolia.
The software update, called Prysm version 7.2.1, was released just before the test. Without the update, the earlier software would have kept the network at the lower 60 million gas limit. That would have weakened the purpose of the test because developers want to see how Ethereum behaves when blocks become much larger.
The test is scheduled to begin on Sepolia at around 13:53 UTC on October 6. Validators running the latest version of Prysm will automatically start proposing blocks with a 200 million gas limit once Glamsterdam becomes active on the test network.
THE BLOCK: Ethereum’s Glamsterdam upgrade is set to activate on the Sepolia testnet later Tuesday, with its gas limit scheduled to rise from 60 million to 200 million.
Prysm released a last-minute update to automatically apply the higher gas limit for validators. https://t.co/bs3ZP1Ws4N
— The Block (@TheBlockCo) October 6, 2026
Sepolia is a test network used by Ethereum developers to try out changes before they are considered for the main Ethereum network. The tokens used there have no real monetary value, so developers can experiment without putting users’ funds at risk.
Gas is basically a measure of the computing work needed to process transactions on Ethereum. Increasing the gas limit gives a block more room. That means more transactions or more complicated activity can potentially fit into each block.
This could eventually be useful for Ethereum users. More block space could allow the network to handle more trades, stablecoin transfers and other applications. But there is a trade-off. Larger blocks require more work from the computers that run Ethereum. If blocks become too large, running a validator could become more difficult or expensive.
That is why developers are testing the increase carefully rather than simply raising the limit on the main network. The new 200 million gas setting is more than three times the earlier 60 million limit on Sepolia.
The October 6 test should give developers a better idea of whether validators can consistently handle such large blocks. The results will help them decide how much additional capacity Ethereum can safely support in the future.
For now, users should not expect Ethereum’s main network to suddenly move to a 200 million gas limit. The test is only taking place on Sepolia, and Glamsterdam has not yet been activated on Ethereum’s mainnet.
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