Ethereum Set for Major Boost as Over 50% of Validators Back Gas Limit Increase

Ethereum is poised for a significant upgrade as over 52% of its validators have supported increasing the network’s gas limit beyond 30 million—the first such change since August 2021. This milestone, enabled by Ethereum’s Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism, will allow more transactions per block. The gas limit has already surpassed 34 million as of February 4.

Pectra Fork on the Horizon

Co-founder Vitalik Buterin and other developers have praised the move, linking it to upcoming upgrades in the March Pectra fork. Pectra will double blob transaction capacity (from three to six blobs) and introduce proposals like EIP-7623 and EIP-7691 to enhance scalability and security. Buterin also supports making blob targets staker-voted for flexible scaling without hard forks.

Debate Over Gas Limit Caps

While some in the community push for limits up to 60 million, experts caution against rapid increases due to network stability risks. Research highlights client-layer constraints and potential vulnerabilities if the gas limit exceeds 36 million. Developers recommend waiting for Pectra’s implementation before considering further increases, ensuring Ethereum can scale safely and securely.