Ethereum (ETH) has initiated the countdown for its forthcoming major network upgrade, Fusaka, scheduled to go live on December 3.
The Ethereum Foundation has characterized Fusaka as a significant advancement, stating it is "a step forward in proving that the network can grow to meet global demand without sacrificing decentralization." This upgrade introduces substantial innovations designed to benefit users, developers, and enterprise participants.
Key Innovations for Users and Developers
A central objective of the Fusaka update is to align Ethereum's user experience with the speed and simplicity characteristic of consumer applications. Through data scaling enhancements, transactions are expected to become nearly instantaneous. Furthermore, mobile wallets will gain support for hardware-compatible passkeys, enabling more secure and cost-effective logins.
For app and DeFi developers, Fusaka is set to enable "instant" interactions. Mechanisms based on pre-approval will reduce transaction latency from minutes down to milliseconds, while reduced costs will introduce a new level of usability. However, developers handling exceptionally large transactions should remain aware of the 2²⁴ per transaction gas limit.
Technical Advancements: PeerDAS and Scalability
PeerDAS (EIP-7594), identified as Fusaka's most crucial technical component, directly impacts the rollup and layer-2 ecosystem. This data sampling verification model is projected to increase the network's data processing capacity by up to eight times. This increase is expected to lead to reduced blob fees and facilitate greater growth for rollups, ultimately translating into lower transaction fees and enhanced scalability for users.
Impact on Node Operators
Node operators will also experience direct effects from the update. The block gas limit, currently approximately 45 million, will be raised to 60 million. Additionally, the implementation of "history expiry," which reduces the amount of historical data stored, is intended to support lighter and more economical node operation in the long term. Conversely, bandwidth requirements for "super node" operators who stake 4,096 ETH or more have been updated.
Enterprise Integration and Predictability
On the enterprise front, ease of compatibility is a primary consideration. Fusaka introduces native support for the secp256r1 curve, which is designed to ensure a more seamless integration with Ethereum's existing enterprise security standards. Moreover, adjustments to blob base fees will make transaction costs more predictable, thereby simplifying integration processes for large-scale organizations.