Ethereum has increased its gas limit beyond 30 million for the first time since transitioning to proof-of-stake. This move, backed by over 50% of validators, improves the network’s transaction capacity without requiring a hard fork. The gas limit, which determines how many transactions can be processed per block, now sits at an average of 31.5 million gas units and is expected to increase further to 36 million. In the meanwhile, ETH has faced extreme volatility, dropping 17.8% in a day, but rebounded after Trump paused tariffs.
Ethereum’s First Gas Adjustment Under PoS
This is the first time Ethereum has done something big with adjusting the gas limit since 2021 when it doubled from 15 million to 30 million under proof-of-work. Now, under proof-of-stake, validators can make incremental adjustments without needing a major network upgrade. With validators signaling their support, the limit increased automatically, demonstrating Ethereum’s ability to scale dynamically.
Alongside the recent Dencun upgrade and proto-dank sharding, this gas limit increase further enhances Ethereum’s ability to handle growing demand. These developments could significantly boost the network’s efficiency, making transactions faster and more cost-effective for users.
Vitalik Buterin’s Take on the Upgrade
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin acknowledged the upgrade, noting that it contributes to layer-1 scalability. He praised ongoing efforts to improve network efficiency, mentioning upgrades like EIP-4444, statelessness, and client optimizations.
Buterin also highlighted the upcoming Pectra upgrade in March, which aims to double the capacity of layer-2 solutions by increasing the blob target from 3 to 6. He suggested allowing staker-voted adjustments so that gas limits can scale alongside technological advancements.
Split Opinions on Raising Gas Limit
Ethereum developers are divided on whether to increase the mainnet gas limit by up to 100%. Supporters believe it would enhance layer-1 (L1) capacity and drive innovation, while opponents, including Ethereum Foundation’s Toni Wahrstätter, warn it could destabilize the network. Some developers suggest a cautious 20% increase to 36 million gas as an initial step, while others advocate for pushing beyond 40 million despite technical constraints. While this is a welcoming move, there is a concern that focusing too much on layer-2 (L2) scaling can halt the growth of L1 in the long run.
