Ethereum Gramsterdam upgrade moves towards 200 million gas limit roadmap
TL;DR
Ethereum’s Gramsterdam upgrade work is progressing through the development net plan ahead of an expected mainnet period in the second half of 2026. EIP-7732, or proposer-constructor separation, is one of the key parts that developers are tracking. EIP-7928, which covers block-level access lists, is another key component related to parallel execution and high throughput. While the headline goal is a path towards higher gas limits, the exact mainnet package is still subject to Ethereum’s normal testing and governance processes.
Glam Sterdam attracts attention
Ethereum’s next major upgrade cycle is currently moving towards Gramsterdam, a protocol package expected to define the network’s post-Pectra scaling and block production roadmap. This upgrade is being closely watched because it impacts two of Ethereum’s biggest long-term constraints: who builds blocks and how much execution capacity the base layer can safely support.
Developer materials and EIP discussions point to proposer/constructor separation and block-level access lists as two of the most important items of conversation at Gramsterdam. Together, they not only require all node operators to absorb more load without changing their structure, but also create a long-term path to increased throughput.
What ePBS is trying to fix
EIP-7732 is commonly described as a separation of proposers and builders, which will shift some of the current external block construction market to Ethereum’s protocol design. Currently, building blocks often relies on external relay infrastructure and specialized actors. Although this system helped the network maximize control over the value it could extract, it also raised concerns about centralization and censorship pressures.
By moving the separation between proposers and builders closer to the protocol layer, Ethereum developers are seeking to reduce dependence on arrangements outside the protocol and achieve a clearer separation between validators who propose blocks and builders who assemble them. Although this is a technical change, it also relates directly to Ethereum’s decentralization goals.
Why block-level access lists are important
EIP-7928 covers block-level access lists and aims to make execution more predictable by identifying state access patterns at the block level. Simply put, validators and clients have better information about what a block should touch before processing it. This is important because parallel execution is difficult if the system does not know which transactions may conflict.
If block-level access lists work as intended, they could allow Ethereum to handle more activity without turning every block into a heavier and more unpredictable burden for nodes. That is why this proposal is often discussed in parallel with higher gas limit targets and broader L1 scaling.
200M gas limit makes headlines
The most attention-grabbing part of the Gramsterdam story is the potential path towards a 200 million gas limit. This is a significant increase from the current base layer capacity and, if achieved safely, would result in a completely different Ethereum L1. However, wording is important. This is a roadmap and testing goal and does not guarantee that all details are locked down exactly for mainnet as described in current devnet materials.
Ethereum upgrades are typically a long process of specification, client implementation, development net, test net, and final refinement. This process is slow by design. Gramsterdam is important because it shows that the network is still trying to extend the base layer itself, rather than just pushing activity to the rollup. The risk is that aggressively increasing capacity without careful client and node work could weaken the decentralized properties that Ethereum seeks to protect.
This article was written by Newsdesk and edited by Samuel Ray.
This report is based on information from the Ethereum EIP specification. Ethereum EIP specification
