Prysm Releases v7.2.1 With PeerDAS Partial Columns Ahead of Sepolia Gloas Fork
The update enables cell-level data dissemination by default and sets a 200M gas limit schedule for the Oct. 6 Sepolia fork.
At a glance
- What happened
- Offchain Labs released Prysm v7.2.1, enabling PeerDAS cell-level data columns by default and incorporating the Sepolia 200M gas limit schedule.
- Why it matters
- The release prepares consensus validators for the Sepolia Gloas upgrade, standardizing builder authentication and scaling testnet data propagation.
- Who is affected
- Sepolia testnet node operators and Ethereum validators running the Prysm consensus client.
- Takes effect
- 2026-10-06T13:53:36Z
- What's next
- Sepolia testnet activation of the Gloas fork at epoch 353024 on Oct. 6, 2026, at 13:53:36 UTC.
- Primary source
- github.com: Releases · OffchainLabs/prysm
Key points
- Prysm v7.2.1 turns on PeerDAS cell-level partial data columns by default, deprecating the previous opt-in flag.
- The client incorporates the Sepolia EIP-8261 schedule, defaulting validators to a 200M gas limit at the Gloas fork.
- Proposer settings files now require builder auth data and keys in 0x-hex instead of base64 to match keymanager specifications.
Ethereum consensus client Prysm published release v7.2.1 on Oct. 5, rolling out critical builder configurations and enabling PeerDAS partial data columns by default ahead of the Sepolia Gloas fork 1. The update arrives just hours before the scheduled network transition, slated for epoch 353024 on Oct. 6 at 13:53:36 UTC 1. At the time of writing, $ETH changed hands around $2,702.
The v7.2.1 release focuses heavily on validator client preparation for Gloas block production and builder integration 1. Proposer settings files must now input builder authorization data and public keys in 0x-prefixed hexadecimal format instead of base64 to align with the keymanager API 1. Prysm also doubled the default beacon node wait time for execution payload builder bids from 300 milliseconds to 600 milliseconds via the --builder-bid-timeout flag, and introduced command-line options such as --builder-urls and --builder-boost-factor to streamline global validator preferences 1.
Network Scaling and Gas Limits
A central component of the release is the default enablement of partial data columns, which shifts PeerDAS dissemination from full column gossip to the cell level 1. Under this model, consensus nodes can broadcast and receive discrete cells they already possess rather than transferring complete columns across the network 1. Node operators can still fall back to full column gossip through --disable-partial-data-columns, while the earlier --partial-data-columns flag has been deprecated 1.
Additionally, v7.2.1 automates the Sepolia GAS_LIMIT_SCHEDULE under EIP-8261, raising the default target to 200 million gas upon reaching the Gloas fork 1. While earlier builds required node operators to override defaults manually to achieve 200 million gas, v7.2.1 applies the target automatically unless superseded by the --suggested-gas-limit flag 1. The coordination aligns Prysm with execution layer releases such as Geth v1.17.7 as core developers finalize testing on the path to Sepolia's upgrade 1.
Sources
- [1] Releases · OffchainLabs/prysm — github.com, October 6, 2026
Written by Basis Desk's newsroom system from the primary sources above and machine-verified against them before publication. Market figures marked "at the time of writing" come from live exchange data. Report an error: corrections@basisdesk.news · corrections policy.
The Daily Brief, in your inbox at 07:00 ET
Five stories, the numbers that moved, what to watch. Three minutes. No hype, no advice, unsubscribe in one click.
Get the big crypto stories first
A few alerts a day at most: major breaking news and the morning brief. Switch off anytime.
Not financial advice. Basis Desk publishes information, not recommendations. Crypto assets are volatile and you can lose what you invest.