Summary
- On October 6, Ethereum's Sepolia test network implemented the Glamsterdam upgrade, increasing its block gas limit to almost 200 million, over three times the mainnet's limit of 60 million.
- Blocks numbered 11,872,013 to 11,872,037 utilized between 47.1 million and 85.9 million gas, accounting for approximately 24% to 43% of the new limit.
- No timeline has been provided for the Hoodi testnet or any mainnet upgrades, meaning the main network's gas limit remains at 60 million for the time being.
The Glamsterdam upgrade on Ethereum's Sepolia test network went live on October 6, allowing for a significant increase in the block gas limit to nearly 200 million, compared to the 60 million limit of the main Ethereum network. Gas represents the computational effort required for transactions on Ethereum, and the gas limit determines how much of that effort can be included in a single block.
This new limit of 200 million was established during epoch 353,024, a timestamp that corresponds to 13:53:36 UTC and is detailed in a recent commit.
However, recent blocks have only utilized a fraction of this increased capacity. Data from Etherscan shows that for blocks 11,872,013 through 11,872,037, the gas consumption was roughly between 24% and 43% of the total available.
While a higher limit does not equate to three times more transactions, it allows for greater capacity during peak demand. This additional space can help mitigate spikes in fees caused by congestion, which occurs when many users are competing to have their transactions included in the next block.
Yet, larger block sizes pose challenges for validators, the entities that stake ETH to verify and confirm each block. Researchers from the Ethereum Foundation have noted that exceeding a gas limit of 40 million may lead to propagation issues across the network, which is why increases have been gradual.
For example, in February 2025, a validator vote resulted in a change from a 30 million to a 32 million limit. This limit was subsequently raised to 60 million in 2025 during the Fusaka upgrade, effectively doubling the initial limit.
To better manage network load, Ethereum's roadmap includes two significant changes. One involves block-level access lists that track which accounts and data are accessed by each block, allowing for simultaneous transaction verification. The other change is the enshrined proposer-builder separation, which shifts the control of block assembly auctions from external middleware to Ethereum's internal protocols.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a long-term vision in July, indicating plans to overhaul nearly every major aspect of the protocol within three to four years. The Glamsterdam upgrade is a step in this direction, with developers indicating a potential future increase in the gas limit to around 200 million.
As Sepolia is a test network, its tokens are not valuable, allowing developers to experiment without financial risk. It previously served as a testing ground for the Merge, which transitioned Ethereum to proof of stake on July 6, 2022.
Currently, there is no set timeline for the Hoodi testnet or any upgrades to the mainnet, so the main Ethereum network will continue to operate under its 60 million gas limit for the foreseeable future.