Ethereum is gearing up for a monumental upgrade with EIP-9698, a proposal that could multiply its gas limit by a staggering 100 times over the next four years – imagine cramming more action into each block, like upgrading from a cozy sedan to a high-speed train.
Introduced by Dankrad Feist, this plan kicks off in June 2025, starting from the current 36 million gas limit and aiming for a whopping 3.6 billion by 2029 through deterministic exponential growth. Layer 2 solutions are already being explored by many in the ecosystem to address scalability issues.
It’s a phased approach, with the first 10x jump over about two years, followed by another to hit the target, all tied to epoch-based increments for smooth sailing.
This scalability boost could rocket Ethereum’s transactions per second from a modest 20 to an impressive 2,000, packing up to 6,000 transactions per block.
That’s a leap toward rivaling Solana’s real-world speeds of 800-1,050 TPS, shifting focus back to Ethereum’s core layer-1 network instead of relying on clunky Layer-2 fixes.
Picture it: developers crafting more complex apps without the usual bottlenecks, like turning a sluggish video game into a seamless blockbuster.
Of course, it’s not all smooth ether.
Technical hurdles loom, such as stressing out nodes or delaying block propagation, but the gradual rollout gives operators time to beef up hardware.
Historically, Ethereum has tinkered with gas limits before, like the 2021 double from 15 million to 30 million, and recent tweaks to 36 million.
EIP-9698 builds on that, aligning with upgrades like Proto-Danksharding for better data handling.
For users and developers, this means cheaper fees and less fragmentation across networks – think of it as Ethereum finally ditching its training wheels.
Critics worry about validator overload or centralization risks, but the structured growth offers predictability, like a reliable roadmap for your next road trip.
All in all, it’s an exciting step toward a more robust blockchain, blending ambition with cautious optimism.
As ETH continues to hold above its $1,700 support, this proposal is well-positioned for adoption.
