Developer materials and EIP discussions point to enshrined proposer-builder separation and block-level access lists as two of the most important items in the Glamsterdam conversation. Together, they help frame a longer-term path toward higher throughput without simply asking every node operator to absorb more load without structural changes.
What ePBS Tries To FixEIP-7732, commonly described as enshrined proposer-builder separation, would move part of the current external block-building market into Ethereum’s protocol design. Today, block construction often depends on external relay infrastructure and specialized actors. That system has helped the network manage maximum extractable value, but it has also raised concerns about centralization and censorship pressure.
By bringing proposer-builder separation closer to the protocol layer, Ethereum developers are trying to reduce reliance on off-protocol arrangements and create a cleaner separation between validators proposing blocks and builders assembling them. It is a technical change, but it also speaks directly to Ethereum’s decentralization goals.
Why Block-Level Access Lists MatterEIP-7928, covering block-level access lists, is aimed at making execution more predictable by identifying state access patterns at the block level. In plain English, validators and clients could get better information about what a block needs to touch before processing it. That matters because parallel execution is difficult when the system does not know which transactions are likely to conflict.
If block-level access lists work as intended, they could help Ethereum process more activity without turning every block into a heavier, less predictable burden for nodes. That is why the proposal is often discussed alongside higher gas-limit targets and broader L1 scaling.
A 200M Gas Limit Is The Big HeadlineThe most attention-grabbing part of the Glamsterdam narrative is the potential path toward a 200 million gas limit. That would be a major increase from today’s base-layer capacity and would represent a very different Ethereum L1 if it can be achieved safely. But the wording matters: this is a roadmap and testing target, not a guarantee that every detail is locked for mainnet exactly as discussed in current devnet materials.
