diff --git a/build/checksums.txt b/build/checksums.txt
index d6a9f2b803..454efa93c4 100644
--- a/build/checksums.txt
+++ b/build/checksums.txt
@@ -5,11 +5,6 @@
 # https://github.com/ethereum/execution-spec-tests/releases/download/v5.1.0
 a3192784375acec7eaec492799d5c5d0c47a2909a3cc40178898e4ecd20cc416  fixtures_develop.tar.gz
 
-# version:spec-tests-bal v7.2.0
-# https://github.com/ethereum/execution-specs/releases
-# https://github.com/ethereum/execution-specs/releases/download/tests-bal%40v7.2.0
-fc1d9ae174cdd5db789068839999e6f83666cc79f7dac36e973d7616d9a2e2cf  fixtures_bal.tar.gz
-
 # version:golang 1.25.10
 # https://go.dev/dl/
 20cf04a92e5af99748e341bc8996fa28090c9ac98765fa115ec5ddf41d7af41d  go1.25.10.src.tar.gz
diff --git a/build/ci.go b/build/ci.go
index 2db6c22616..53ade2e1bf 100644
--- a/build/ci.go
+++ b/build/ci.go
@@ -160,9 +160,6 @@ var (
 
 	// This is where the tests should be unpacked.
 	executionSpecTestsDir = "tests/spec-tests"
-
-	// This is where the bal-specific release of the tests should be unpacked.
-	executionSpecTestsBALDir = "tests/spec-tests-bal"
 )
 
 var GOBIN, _ = filepath.Abs(filepath.Join("build", "bin"))
@@ -401,7 +398,6 @@ func doTest(cmdline []string) {
 	// Get test fixtures.
 	if !*short {
 		downloadSpecTestFixtures(csdb, *cachedir)
-		downloadBALSpecTestFixtures(csdb, *cachedir)
 	}
 
 	// Configure the toolchain.
@@ -467,20 +463,6 @@ func downloadSpecTestFixtures(csdb *download.ChecksumDB, cachedir string) string
 	return filepath.Join(cachedir, base)
 }
 
-// downloadBALSpecTestFixtures downloads and extracts the bal-specific execution-spec-tests fixtures.
-func downloadBALSpecTestFixtures(csdb *download.ChecksumDB, cachedir string) string {
-	ext := ".tar.gz"
-	base := "fixtures_bal"
-	archivePath := filepath.Join(cachedir, base+ext)
-	if err := csdb.DownloadFileFromKnownURL(archivePath); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if err := build.ExtractArchive(archivePath, executionSpecTestsBALDir); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	return filepath.Join(cachedir, base)
-}
-
 // doCheckGenerate ensures that re-generating generated files does not cause
 // any mutations in the source file tree.
 func doCheckGenerate() {
diff --git a/core/state/bal_state_transition.go b/core/state/bal_state_transition.go
index d2767c0e2b..29135494e5 100644
--- a/core/state/bal_state_transition.go
+++ b/core/state/bal_state_transition.go
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ func (s *BALStateTransition) setError(err error) {
 // deletions can only occur if an account which has a balance becomes the target of a CREATE2 initcode
 // which calls SENDALL, clearing the account and marking it for deletion.
 func isAccountDeleted(prestate *types.StateAccount, mutations bal.AccountMutations) bool {
-	// TODO: figure out how to simplify this method
 	if mutations.Code != nil && len(mutations.Code) != 0 {
 		return false
 	}