Glamsterdam client releases for Hoodi testnet

Execution and consensus client releases supporting the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi testnet are due by Friday, October 16, 2026. The releases concern Ethereum (ETH) and prepare node operators for the Hoodi fork scheduled for Monday, October 26.

What is happening

At the ACDE #247 core developer call on October 8, Ethereum developers set two dates: client releases for Hoodi by October 16, and the Glamsterdam fork on Hoodi on October 26. Hoodi is the second and last public testnet before the upgrade can reach mainnet. The first public testnet, Sepolia, already went through the transition on October 6.

Glamsterdam is a hard fork, meaning every machine running the network must move to new software at the same moment or it stops following the same blockchain. Both programs have to be current: the execution client and the consensus client. A node that updates only one of the two drops out of the chain at the transition. Ten days separate the software release from the Hoodi switch, and that is the window for installing the updates.

The developers also recorded that the increase of the block gas limit to 200 million happens at the fork transition itself, not later. Mainnet currently works with a limit of 60 million gas per block. Among the changes tied to the upgrade is EIP-8061, which proposes raising the validator exit and consolidation churn; it is at Last Call status with a deadline of November 1, 2026, and is not decided for mainnet. A mainnet date for Glamsterdam has not been set.

Why it matters

The Hoodi fork is the last public rehearsal before mainnet. How the clients behave together under load during this window is what a later mainnet date depends on, so any mainnet timing discussed before then is a proposal, not a decision. A larger gas limit would raise block capacity more than threefold, though it does not guarantee lower fees, since more room can also attract more usage. It does raise memory and bandwidth demands on the machines running the network, which is why the testnets come first.

For most holders nothing needs to be done, as exchanges and custodians handle the software. Node operators and those who stake directly should update both clients before October 26. Stakers should note that today's exit limits stay in force until any mainnet change; the exit queue recently stood at roughly 17 days. Traders may see news cluster around fork dates, which can bring heightened volatility.

Key details

• Date: October 16, 2026 (client release deadline); Hoodi fork follows on October 26, 2026
• Project: Ethereum
• Coins: ETH
• Category: Product Release
• Status: Confirmed
• Source: ACDE #247 notes (https://christinedkim.substack.com/p/acde-247); cryptoticker.io (https://cryptoticker.io/en/ethereum-glamsterdam-hoodi-fork-date/)