Key facts
- The Ethereum Foundation has warned developers about potential tool malfunctions.
- The Glamsterdam upgrade introduces changes to Ethereum's gas model.
- Wallets and gas estimators may stop functioning correctly.
- A new 'state gas' fee will be introduced for sending ETH to new addresses.
- This alters the long-standing '21,000 gas' rule for ETH transfers.
- Wallet providers and blockchain services must update their software.
- Developers are advised to test on the Plataberget testnet.
The Ethereum Foundation has issued a warning to developers regarding potential disruptions caused by the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade. The upgrade introduces significant changes to the Ethereum Virtual Machine's gas model, which could lead to certain tools, including cryptocurrency wallets and gas estimation services, ceasing to function correctly. The primary driver of these potential issues is the alteration of the long-standing '21,000 gas' rule for Ether (ETH) transfers.
Under the new rules, sending ETH to a new, unused address will incur an additional 'state gas' fee. This fee is designed to account for the computational cost of creating and initializing a new state entry on the blockchain. Consequently, wallet providers, blockchain explorers, and other related services will need to update their software to accommodate this new fee structure. The Ethereum Foundation advises developers to proactively test their applications and systems on the Plataberget testnet to identify and resolve any compatibility issues before the Glamsterdam upgrade is deployed on the mainnet.