Introduction
The discussion around increasing Ethereum's gas limit has gained significant traction, focusing on enhancing network throughput. This article explores the feasibility and potential impacts of such an increase, covering storage, bandwidth, and computation. Key methods under consideration include:
- EIP-7782: Reducing Ethereum's block time
- EIP-7783: Gradual gas limit increase mechanism
Historical Context of Ethereum’s Gas Limit
Ethereum’s gas limit has evolved dramatically since its 2015 launch:
- 2015: Initial limit of 5,000 gas per block
- 2016: Increased to ~3M, later to ~4.7M
- 2017: Peaked at 6.7M, then 8M by December
- 2021: Reached 15M under EIP-1559 (hard cap: 30M)
Notable Trend: No adjustments in the past four years despite hardware improvements.
Should the Gas Limit Be Revisited?
A threefold analysis:
1. Storage Considerations
- State Growth: Linear increase (~30GB/year) poses minimal bottlenecks due to exponentially declining storage costs.
- Historical Growth: Validators already require 2–4TB storage, making additional capacity negligible.
Key Insight: Hardware advancements outpace storage demands.
2. Bandwidth Challenges
- Current Stats: Average block size = 75KB; max = 270KB.
If Doubled:
- Average: ~5% bandwidth increase
- Worst-case: 3.4MB blocks (+50% bandwidth demand)
Mitigation: EIP-7783’s phased approach reduces DoS risks.
3. Computation
- Average Case: Block processing <1 second.
- Worst Case: Scalability issues with opcodes (e.g.,
MODEXP), addressable via repricing.
FAQ Section
Q1: Why hasn’t the gas limit increased since 2021?
Ethereum prioritized stability and scalability solutions (e.g., Layer 2s) over abrupt mainnet changes.
Q2: Could higher gas limits centralize validators?
Not significantly—storage/bandwidth demands remain manageable with modern hardware.
Q3: How does EIP-7783 mitigate risks?
By incrementally adjusting limits, allowing network adaptation.
Conclusion
- Storage: Non-issue due to hardware trends.
- Bandwidth: Primary concern but manageable via EIP-7783.
- Recommendation: Immediate 33% increase via EIP-7783; defer EIP-7782 until DVT/SSF optimizations.
👉 Learn more about Ethereum’s roadmap
Disclaimer
- Adapted from Erigon’s original analysis.
- Opinions expressed are the author’s alone.
- Translated by Gate Learn; unauthorized duplication prohibited.