Ethereum: Glamsterdam postponed after risks detected on 13 contracts

Researchers from Ethereum are now using artificial intelligence agents to analyze the unexpected effects of Glamsterdam on existing contracts. This initiative comes after the scheduled test on Hoodi was postponed, but it does not mean that the problem has been resolved.

In brief

• Ethereum postpones the Glamsterdam test on Hoodi after discovering technical risks.
• ChainSecurity identifies at least 13 contracts that may be affected by the update.
• AI agents assist researchers in detecting other unforeseen consequences.
• Teams coordinate their analyses to enhance the security of existing contracts.
• Ethereum extends this approach to Hegota to anticipate risks from its future updates.

Thirteen exposed contracts lead to test postponement

The dress rehearsal of Glamsterdam on Hoodi was scheduled for October 26. Developers ultimately postponed it after discovering risks associated with proposals EIP-8037 and EIP-8038, which modify how Ethereum charges for certain operations related to data creation on the blockchain.

The Swiss company ChainSecurity identified at least 13 already deployed contracts whose functioning could be disrupted. The problem arises when one contract calls another program and runs out of gas, the unit used to measure and charge for calculations on Ethereum. In some cases, an operation that is normally canceled could leave permanent effects or prevent a subsequent attempt from succeeding.

The main known elements show that the deployment remains suspended:

• The Glamsterdam test on Hoodi, scheduled for October 26, is postponed;
• The risks concern proposals EIP-8037 and EIP-8038;
• ChainSecurity has spotted at least 13 potentially affected contracts;
• No financial loss related to these flaws has been reported;
• Ethereum has not announced a new date for Hoodi or a definitive timeline for the main network.

Glamsterdam had already been activated on Sepolia on October 6. Hoodi was to constitute the second and final testing phase before a potential arrival on the main network. Therefore, the postponement does not represent the abandonment of the update, but a pause intended to measure its consequences on existing applications.

Ethereum users have no urgent actions to take. The contested modifications are not active on the main network, and the vulnerabilities were discovered before the final deployment.

AI agents coordinate contract analysis

Researchers from Eth Labs and the Ethereum Foundation were separately using AI agents to examine contracts that might be affected. After discovering that they were following a similar approach, they created a GitHub repository serving as a communication board for their automated systems.

These agents can scan large amounts of code, simulate different behaviors, and report contracts whose functioning depends on outdated gas rules. Their mission particularly focuses on the "second-order effects", meaning indirect consequences that do not appear immediately in the technical proposal.

Derek Chiang, a member of Eth Labs, compared this method to that used by malicious agents during an incident involving Hugging Face. He stated regarding the coordination table:

It turns out that the same model is also useful for good agents.

However, this formula should not lead to presenting AI as the author of the rescue. ChainSecurity detected the risks that caused the delay. Agents are now intervening to broaden the analysis, search for other affected contracts, and assist human specialists in examining more scenarios.

Chiang also acknowledges that the problem was identified very late, which forced teams to react urgently. According to him, protocol designers should analyze much earlier the malfunctions that their updates could introduce.

Ethereum Tests a New Continuous Audit Model

The experience could change the way Ethereum prepares for its upcoming evolutions. Traditional audits rely on human teams, automated tools, and testing periods. AI agents add a permanent exploration capability, with several systems able to share their results and distribute tasks.

The system has already been extended to EIP-8198, nicknamed "Quick Slots". This proposal, considered for the next update called Hegota, seeks to shorten the time between blocks. A second coordination platform has been opened to examine its consequences before its development reaches an advanced stage.

This early use could prevent a repeat of the Glamsterdam situation. However, it has its own limitations. An agent can produce false signals, misinterpret the functioning of a contract, or overlook an important interaction. Each alert must therefore be reproduced, understood, and validated by human researchers.

A study published in 2026 on the security of Ethereum contracts showed that advanced agents could detect, correct, but also exploit vulnerabilities end-to-end. This dual capability enhances their interest in audits while imposing controlled environments and strict oversight.

The next test of Glamsterdam will now depend on the conclusions of this analysis. Therefore, true progress does not yet lie in a repaired update, but in the emergence of a model where humans and AI agents jointly examine risks before they reach the main network.