Ethereum’s Glamsterdam Fork Could Misroute Staking Deposits

A timing edge case in Ethereum’s planned Glamsterdam upgrade could redirect Ether (ETH) deposits intended for validators to a builder account, leaving staking protocols without validator proof at the fork.

The scenario involves two deposits tied to the same public key that are still pending when the fork occurs. An operator could submit a builder deposit linked to an address they control before a staking protocol funds a validator deposit with that key. At the fork, both deposits could be credited to the builder, and no validator would be created at that point. A later deposit could create one.

Protocols that release funds in stages may wait for validator proof before sending the remaining funds. That proof is unavailable until a validator is created, and any effect on recovery depends on the protocol. A proposed safeguard is to check for an earlier builder deposit before funding a validator.

The proposed specification change was closed Oct. 19 amid insufficient client-team support for changing the specification at this stage. The related issue carries a separate “not planned” status.