Block Gas Limit Raised Following Community Demand
Ethereum's block gas limit has been raised from 45 million to 60 million, a move driven by calls from decentralized finance users and builders seeking expanded network capacity. This adjustment marks the highest level the Ethereum mainnet has seen in four years.
Toni Wahrstätter, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, announced the increase on X, describing it as the result of a year-long community effort to boost base-layer capacity. Data from Gas Limit Pics indicated that in November, over 513,000 validators signaled their support for a 60 million gas limit, surpassing the threshold required for the protocol to begin increasing the gas limit.
The adjustment was automatically implemented on November 25th, following approval from more than half of the validators, which is the required threshold under Ethereum's current consensus rules. A higher gas limit enables Ethereum to process more operations within each block, including swaps, token transfers, and smart contract calls, which can help alleviate network congestion during peak usage periods.
Technical Improvements Enable Higher Throughput
Independent blockchain researcher Zhixiong Pan highlighted three converging improvements that made this increase possible. These include EIP-7623, which introduces protocol-level safeguards for block sizes, optimizations in multiple client implementations that enhance gas throughput, and extensive testnet results demonstrating consistent and stable block propagation under heavier loads.
Researcher Zhixiong Pan identified three key factors enabling this expansion. EIP-7623 introduced protocol safeguards for block sizes, client software improvements boosted processing efficiency, and testnet data confirmed stable performance under increased load.
Strategic Optimization for Scalability
Vitalik Buterin characterized the change as part of a broader strategy focused on targeted optimization rather than uniform scaling. He suggested that future adjustments might combine higher limits with increased costs for computationally intensive operations, such as complex precompiles and arithmetic functions.
This strategy is designed to maintain network efficiency as block sizes grow while still allowing for greater transaction volume. The approach seeks to balance capacity expansion with effective resource management, aiming to prevent the emergence of new performance bottlenecks.
Layer-Two Scaling Solutions Reach Record Throughput
Ethereum scaling solutions recently achieved a record throughput of 31,000 transactions per second over a 24-hour period, according to data from GrowThePie. Lighter, a zero-knowledge rollup specifically designed for perpetuals trading, led this surge with 5,455 TPS, supported by its $1.2 billion in locked value.
Base contributed 137 TPS, while other layer-two networks added smaller, consistent amounts. This period of increased throughput coincides with the approaching Fusaka hard fork, scheduled for December 3rd.
Fusaka Hard Fork and Future Scaling
The Fusaka hard fork has completed its testnet activation and initiated a $2 million security audit competition. The primary focus of this upgrade is PeerDAS, a redesign of how the network samples data availability, intended to enhance rollup efficiency.
Buterin had previously described PeerDAS as a crucial component for scaling, noting its potential to provide more reliable data throughput for layer-two solutions. The upcoming upgrade also includes client updates, consensus improvements, and security enhancements. He anticipates continued capacity growth through 2026, to be implemented via strategic adjustments that expand throughput while simultaneously making inefficient operations more costly, thereby preventing system strain.