Ethereum completes key scalability upgrade: Blob capacity increased again, Layer 2 fees will reach new lows

The Ethereum network has successfully executed the second “Blob Parameter Only” upgrade, increasing the Blob target per block from 10 to 14, and the upper limit from 15 to 21. This upgrade is the final step in the planned conclusion of the Fusaka hard fork launched last December, marking a mature phase in Ethereum’s strategy of modular and parameterized data availability scaling.

Higher Blob capacity means Layer 2 Rollup networks can bundle transaction data onto the Ethereum mainnet at lower costs, maintaining extremely low user transaction fees for a longer period. This technological evolution not only consolidates Ethereum’s position as the core decentralized settlement layer but also lays the foundation for a more prosperous DApp ecosystem and a potential market value revaluation.

Calm and Steady Evolution: Ethereum’s Final Chapter of the Fusaka Upgrade

In the rapidly changing world of crypto, Ethereum demonstrates a different upgrade philosophy from other public chains: it does not pursue disruptive, one-step transformations, but prefers carefully designed, incremental optimizations to steadily expand its capabilities. This week, the latest example of this philosophy has unfolded as scheduled. The Ethereum network successfully synchronized the second “Blob Parameter Only” fork, which is not only a perfect conclusion to the major Fusaka upgrade initiated in early December last year but also clearly reveals Ethereum’s core methodology for future scaling—shifting from reliance on once-a-year large hard forks to more flexible, efficient parameterized adjustments.

The specific technical parameter adjustments in this upgrade may seem subtle but are profoundly meaningful. The Blob target per block has been increased from 10 to 14, and the maximum from 15 to 21. This is not an isolated action but the latter part of a carefully orchestrated “two-step” strategy: during the first BPO upgrade about a week after Fusaka activation, these values were already increased from the initial 6 and 9 to 10 and 15. This phased capacity increase is akin to widening lanes on a busy highway in stages, with the core goal of boosting throughput while giving the network ample time to observe and adapt to the new load, ensuring system stability and security.

Ethereum’s official X account succinctly explained: “BPO forks allow Ethereum to independently and efficiently adjust specific parameters (such as Blob targets) without waiting for the annual major upgrade.” This shift in upgrade mode signifies that Ethereum’s governance and development processes have entered a more mature and agile phase. Network scaling is no longer a uncertain “big bang” event but a continuous process that can be fine-tuned based on actual needs and data feedback. This provides a predictable and sustainable infrastructure foundation for the thriving Layer 2 Rollup ecosystem.

Understanding “Blob”: The Modular Core Component of Ethereum Scaling

• Nature: Temporary large-capacity data packets, specifically used by Layer 2 Rollups to publish batch transaction data to the Ethereum mainnet at low cost.
• Technical Name: Binary Large OBjects (BLOB)
• Storage Duration: Data stored on the mainnet is automatically deleted after 18 days, balancing cost and security.
• Introduction Time: First introduced in the Dencun upgrade in March 2024, it is the core of Proto-Danksharding.
• Capacity Evolution: After Fusaka, through two BPO forks, the Blob target per block has been gradually increased from 6 to 14, and the maximum from 9 to 21.
• Core Role: Transforms Ethereum’s mainnet role from “execute everything” to “securely verify and store data,” a key aspect of modular architecture.

Decoding Blob: Why It’s the “Data Highway” of Modular Ethereum

To understand the importance of this Blob parameter increase, we must return to a fundamental question: in the narrative of modular blockchains, what role does the Ethereum mainnet play? The answer is: a secure, decentralized, and highly trusted “data availability and settlement layer.” Blob is the core technology carrier supporting this role. You can think of it as a dedicated, high-speed, low-cost data transmission channel connecting Layer 2 “execution workshops” with the Ethereum mainnet “notary office.”

Before Blob appeared, Rollups publishing data to the mainnet had to occupy the full calldata space, which was costly and competed with regular mainnet transactions for block space. The cleverness of Blob lies in creating an independent and inexpensive data channel. Rollups can compress thousands of transactions into a Blob and “temporarily store” it on the mainnet at very low cost. All network participants can verify this data within an 18-day window, ensuring Rollup operators do not maliciously act. Afterwards, the data is automatically cleared, preventing infinite growth of the mainnet state. This design perfectly balances data availability, security, and economic efficiency.

The parameter increase directly widens this “data highway.” More Blob capacity means that, within a given time frame, Rollup networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, zkSync Era can submit more batches of transactions to the mainnet. This is crucial for maintaining or even further reducing user transaction fees on Layer 2. Although since the Dencun upgrade, the average Layer 2 transaction fee has dropped to a few cents or even fractions of a cent, the explosive growth of the ecosystem will inevitably increase demand for Blob space. Preemptively and gradually increasing supply is to prevent future Blob Gas fees from soaring due to demand surges, thus passing the low-cost advantage to end users. On-chain data shows that current Blob utilization remains far below the new upper limit, indicating this upgrade is a forward-looking infrastructure investment that reserves ample space for future growth.

Layer 2’s “Comforter”: Lower Fees and More Stable Development Environment

The most immediate beneficiaries of this Blob capacity expansion are the entire Layer 2 ecosystem built on Ethereum. For end users, the most tangible benefit will be stable and low transaction costs. For example, on the Base network using Optimistic Rollup, the average transaction cost can be maintained at nearly zero (as reported, around $0.000116). This extreme cost advantage is key to attracting the next billion users into the on-chain world. Whether for DeFi micro-swaps, NFT minting, or blockchain gaming, users no longer need to worry about unpredictable Gas fees.

For Layer 2 developers and projects, the increase in Blob capacity means more predictable operating costs and more stable network performance. Ethereum advocate Christine Erispe pointed out that increasing Blob target values reduces the probability of the network “approaching capacity,” which is the phase when Rollups face the most severe Blob fee peaks and batch submission chaos. Smoother fee environments and more reliable data submission expectations allow Layer 2 projects to focus more on product innovation and user experience optimization rather than constantly worrying about the costs of underlying data publication.

This ongoing infrastructure optimization is reshaping the competitive landscape of public chains. As Andrew Gross, head of technical outreach at Blockscout, stated, Ethereum’s modular architecture has turned “data availability into a controllable resource.” This means that as application demands grow, Ethereum can elastically scale by adjusting parameters (such as Blob count) without sacrificing its core properties of decentralization and security. This responds to Vitalik Buterin’s recent remarks that Ethereum has become a “new and more powerful decentralized network,” demonstrating that the “impossible triangle” of security, decentralization, and scalability is being cleverly harmonized through modular design.

The Road Ahead: Parameterized Governance and the Vision of “Validation as a Service”

Looking forward, the successful implementation of this BPO upgrade provides a clear template for Ethereum’s subsequent development. Parameterized governance will become the new norm for network capability upgrades. Whether it’s further increasing Blob capacity, adjusting its storage duration, or refining Gas pricing mechanisms, these can be achieved through lightweight community consensus and network upgrades. This grants Ethereum unprecedented agility, enabling rapid responses to ecosystem development needs.

A longer-term vision points toward full Danksharding. The current Proto-Danksharding (via Blob) is only an initial stage of the ultimate goal. Full Danksharding aims to extend data availability sampling across the entire network, allowing nodes to verify the trustworthiness of entire data blocks by downloading and sampling only a small portion of data, enabling a quantum leap in data capacity. The recent Fusaka upgrade introduced PeerDAS (peer-to-peer data availability sampling), which is a key step toward this goal. The phased increase in Blob capacity can be seen as a stress test and ecosystem preparation for the final arrival of Danksharding.

Meanwhile, as Blob becomes a standardized data availability commodity, a secondary market around “validation as a service” may emerge. Specialized data availability layers like EigenDA, Celestia, and Avail already offer alternatives to Ethereum’s native Blob. In the future, Rollups may dynamically choose between Ethereum’s native Blob and third-party DA solutions based on cost, security assumptions, and integration levels. This competition will further drive down data availability costs and promote service specialization. By continuously optimizing the cost-performance ratio of its native Blob, Ethereum ensures it remains a strong competitor in this critical market.

For Ethereum itself, a scalable, low-cost, highly active Layer 2 ecosystem will generate persistent demand for ETH as the base layer’s Gas fee payment medium. Although Layer 2 users may pay directly in USDC or other tokens, their underlying data submission and security verification ultimately consume ETH. Therefore, the ecosystem prosperity supported by Blob expansion is deeply tied to ETH’s long-term value capture mechanism. It is not aimed at short-term price speculation but at solidifying the network’s fundamental utility, building a more robust and expansive base for its intrinsic value. In this sense, each calm technical parameter adjustment is laying a broader, more solid road for Ethereum’s “decentralized city,” awaiting future traffic and flows.