One year since Proto-Danksharding.

What actually changed?

In March 2024, Ethereum shipped EIP-4844 — also known as Proto-Danksharding — as part of the Dencun upgrade.

The goal: slash Layer 2 fees, unlock blob space, and kick off a new era of modular Ethereum.

Did it work?

Yes. And it didn’t stop there.

Layer 2s like Base, Optimism, and Arbitrum started posting data using blobs — a cheaper, temporary storage format.

Gas fees dropped 5–10x.

Rollups scaled.

User adoption surged — especially during meme waves, NFT spikes, and airdrop seasons.

Ethereum stopped feeling like one slow, expensive chain.

It became a modular ecosystem: secure, scalable, and fast where it matters.

But the story didn’t end there.

In May 2025, Ethereum pushed further with the Pectra upgrade — increasing blob capacity and improving data availability for L2s.

This amplified the effect: cheaper transactions, more throughput, better UX across the board.

And while the tech kept evolving — the narrative shifted too.

ETH isn’t just cheaper now.

It’s becoming harder, stronger, and more valuable.

With a deflationary supply, real network utility, and institutional-grade liquidity —

Ethereum is stepping into a new role:

not just tech, but digital Store of Value.

Unlike gold or $BTC $ETH actually works.