Ethereum Is Testing Blocks Over 3 Times Bigger. Could That Help ETH Catch Up With Solana?
Ethereum is quietly running tests that could reshape how much work its network can handle at once, but a bigger question looms: will any of it matter if the mainnet upgrade has no launch date and traders are already walking…
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Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) is testing blocks more than three times larger than its mainnet allows. On October 16, 2026, the Ethereum Foundation’s protocol team announced that the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade would be activated on the Hoodi test network on October 26 at 17:42 UTC. Along with this upgrade, the gas limit for Hoodi will increase to 200 million, compared to about 60 million on the mainnet.
Hoodi is a testnet, a practice version of Ethereum where the coins have no market value. The Glamsterdam upgrade already went live on Sepolia, another testnet, which also uses the 200 million gas limit, on October 6. However, the foundation hasn’t provided a timeline for when these changes will be reflected on the mainnet, the live network where users’ transactions occur, and assures ETH holders that no action is required on their part.
Despite the news, ETH did not rally, trading at around $2,395 as of October 18 after falling 0.9% in the past 24 hours and 3.4% over the week. In comparison, Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) dropped 5.2% over the week, trading at about $103 ahead of its own Alpenglow upgrade scheduled for October 21. So, do larger blocks on this test network mean ETH can catch up to Solana?
How Glamsterdam Changes Block Construction on Ethereum
Gas measures the computational work done on Ethereum, with every transaction, swap, or smart contract call consuming some gas. The gas limit determines how much work can fit into one block, so raising this limit allows more transactions to be included. Transaction fees fluctuate with demand, rising when more users want space in a block and falling when capacity is available.
The first major change introduced in Glamsterdam is called proposer-builder separation, known as EIP-7732. Under current rules, validators who propose a block often buy one from specialized builders through third-party middleware. Glamsterdam integrates this process into Ethereum’s core rules, allowing direct payments to the proposer. This change aims to reduce dependence on external services and give validators more time to verify each block.
The second new feature is block-level access lists, outlined in EIP-7928. These lists record which accounts and storage each block interacts with, similar to providing a shopping list before checkout. This allows multiple processors to work simultaneously, making it easier for Ethereum’s client software to read data and validate transactions in parallel, thereby managing larger blocks more efficiently.
Additionally, Glamsterdam introduces a new gas pricing structure. EIP-8037 raises the cost of creating new state, meaning new permanent data saved on the blockchain. The foundation cautions that contracts relying on fixed gas limits might need adjustments. Because the foundation is a nonprofit that does not sell blockspace, upgrades reach ETH through user fees, a portion of which is burned.
The Ethereum Foundation Has Not Promised Bigger Mainnet Blocks
While the announcement sets a gas limit for the Hoodi test network, the Ethereum Foundation has not committed to extending this limit to the mainnet. It leaves the mainnet timeline open-ended. A testnet cap shows how well client software can handle increased capacity under controlled conditions, while validators adjust mainnet limits separately over time.
There’s also no guarantee that larger blocks will increase ETH usage. If block supply rises without a corresponding increase in demand, fees could fall, benefiting users but potentially reducing the amount of ETH burned per block. For holders, the additional capacity will only be worthwhile if applications and users effectively utilize it.
Solana Keeps Upgrading, and Prices Show No Clear Leader
In contrast, Solana was designed from the start for high transaction throughput. Its upcoming Alpenglow upgrade focuses on improving consensus mechanisms for faster finality and shorter transaction-confirmation wait times. This leaves Ethereum in a constant effort to catch a moving target. Macro investor Jordi Visser noted this divide in a September interview, describing Ethereum as the reliable platform for development and Solana as more fee-oriented.
Price trends show no definitive leader between the two. Over the past 60 days, ETH has gained 26.3%, while SOL has seen a 35.5% increase. However, over the last month, ETH fell 1.1%, while SOL rose 2.7%. Over the course of a year, ETH has decreased by 36.9%, a smaller fall than SOL’s 42.7% drop.
Can Ethereum Glamsterdam Help ETH Compete With Solana?
For the Ethereum network, the answer is yes. Glamsterdam could provide the infrastructure to handle higher activity on the main chain, and larger blocks could help narrow the capacity gap with Solana. However, for ETH as an asset, the answer remains uncertain. A testnet upgrade with no mainnet date gives traders no timeline to factor in, and ETH’s weekly loss shows the market hasn’t reacted positively yet.
The upcoming Hoodi test starting October 26 is the first step. If the client software can handle 200 million gas blocks effectively, it could set a mainnet date. That date is crucial to monitor. If, after that date, ETH begins to outperform SOL, it signals that the market is starting to recognize the upgrade’s impact. Conversely, if ETH continues to lag behind SOL, the outlook remains unclear.
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Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst who's spent nearly a decade making blockchain understandable—no easy task when most whitepapers read like fever dreams. He writes for 24/7 Wall St., covering Bitcoin, altcoins, and crypto market analysis for investors. Before crypto, he was a tech writer (back when explaining "the cloud" was peak innovation). Since 2018, he's written for CoinTelegraph, Yahoo Finance, The Block, Cryptonews, Zypto, Rain, and more—basically anywhere people want crypto news without the headache. Sam runs MacLabs Marketing, a content agency for crypto brands tired of sounding like AI wrote their website. He also publishes free crypto education on his site for Web3 enthusiasts who think "gas fees" is a typo. When he's not writing or staring at charts, Sam's either: - Watching anime (currently convinced One Piece has better tokenomics than most altcoins) - At the gym sculpting himself into a Greek god - Listening to the music your mum warned you only bad boys listen to Connect: LinkedIn | Email | MacLabs Marketing
