Ethereum is preparing to deploy its Fusaka upgrade on December 3, introducing infrastructure enhancements focused on rollup scalability, node efficiency, and wallet functionality rather than flashy new features.
The upgrade’s centerpiece arrived through EIP-7594, introducing peer data availability sampling. This implementation enables nodes to verify blob data by sampling small pieces from peers, rather than downloading full datasets. The architecture maintains security guarantees while slashing bandwidth requirements, enabling Ethereum to expand blob capacity without forcing validators to operate datacenter-grade infrastructure. Lower data costs for layer-2 networks translate directly into cheaper transaction fees for end users, even during periods of high network congestion.
Blob Capacity Expansion and Block Size Changes
Fusaka triggers a series of Blob Parameter Only mini-forks scheduled immediately after mainnet deployment. BPO1 on December 9 raises blob targets from 6 to 10 and maximums from 9 to 15. BPO2 will follow on January 7, pushing targets to 14 and maximums to 21. The configuration-only approach enables rapid capacity scaling without requiring full hard forks, allowing the network to monitor performance and stability between incremental increases.
Additionally, EIP-7935 lifts the default block gas limit to 60 million, expanding throughput capacity for legitimate usage. EIP-7825 simultaneously capped individual transactions at 16,777,216 gas, preventing single operations from monopolizing entire blocks. The dual implementation increased network capacity while closing denial-of-service vectors and smoothing the path toward future transaction parallelization.
Blob Fee Market Stabilization and Network Protocol Cleanup
EIP-7918 ties blob base fees to execution layer costs, preventing the extreme price volatility that plagued earlier implementations. The mechanism stops blob fees from crashing to zero or spiking independently of layer-1 network conditions.
Rollup operators will gain more predictable cost structures for planning and budgeting, while users will experience fewer days of inexplicably cheap or prohibitively expensive blob posting. EIP-7642 introduces eth/69, stripping proof-of-work era artifacts and receipt blooms from the peer-to-peer protocol. The streamlined gossip layer will reduce bandwidth consumption and simplify client implementations. Combined with PeerDAS, the cleanup makes maintaining synchronization less resource-intensive for validators and full node operators.
Physical Block Size Limits and Validator Coordination Improvements
EIP-7934 imposes hard RLP execution block size limits independent of gas constraints. This safeguard prevents blocks from expanding to unwieldy byte counts even when attackers maximize gas usage through calldata manipulation. The unglamorous guardrail protects chains from performance degradation under adversarial conditions.
EIP-7917 standardizes deterministic proposer lookahead, clarifying how far in advance networks could identify upcoming block proposers. The predictability benefits layer-2 sequencers, bridge operators, and MEV infrastructure by enabling better preconfirmation coordination and reducing uncertainty in proposer duty assignment.
Wallet and Developer Tools
EIP-7951 adds native secp256r1 precompile support, matching the elliptic curve used by iPhone and Android secure enclaves, as well as WebAuthn keys. The implementation simplifies passkey-style wallet construction and hardware-backed authentication, eliminating the need for workarounds.
EIP-7939 introduces a count leading zeros opcode, delivering gas savings for zero-knowledge circuits, compression algorithms, and low-level mathematical operations. EIP-7910 enables tooling to query fork and configuration data directly from nodes through eth_config, eliminating the need for guesswork around upgrade parameters.
Cryptographic Operation Repricing and Home Staking Benefits
EIP-7883 and EIP-7823 refine ModExp precompile pricing, tightening bounds and raising costs for large exponentiations. The adjustments close attack vectors where underpriced operations could bog down block processing while establishing accurate pricing for computationally expensive cryptographic functions.
The combined effect of PeerDAS bandwidth reduction, eth/69 protocol cleanup, transaction caps, and block size limits lowers hardware and connectivity requirements for full node and validator operation.
The reduced barriers support decentralization by keeping home staking economically viable without enterprise-grade infrastructure. Fusaka positions Ethereum to handle significantly higher rollup throughput and layer-1 transaction volume.
The upgrade delivers expanded blob capacity, refines fee markets, cleaner networking protocols, and improves developer tooling without introducing flashy consumer-facing features. The December 3 deployment represents infrastructure hardening designed to support long-term scalability as blockchain adoption expands beyond current user bases.