Ethereum validators are making their voices heard, as 10% of them now support a proposal to raise the network’s gas limit, a significant leap from just over 1% before December. This movement could drastically change how Ethereum handles transactions.
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On December 19, Ethereum validators signaling support for increasing the gas limit to over 30 million surged. A group of core developers and researchers is pushing for a rise in gas limits to 36 million, which they believe could lower transaction fees by up to 33%. According to core Ethereum developer Eric Connor, this increase could reduce layer-1 transaction fees by 15% to 33%, benefiting users and developers alike.
Developer Support Grows
The call for a higher gas limit is gaining traction. Ethereum researcher Justin Drake recently configured his validator to support the 36 million gas limit, noting that a 20% increase would help “grease the wheels” for the network. Developer Emmanuel Awosika also sees the benefits, suggesting that increasing the gas limit would help handle high-demand applications without causing transaction fee spikes. As he told Cointelegraph, current gas limits prevent developers from deploying certain applications due to the risk of “a very degraded user experience” when apps go viral.
Caution Remains
Despite the growing support, there are warnings from the Ethereum Foundation about potential risks. Toni Wahrstätter raised concerns that an excessive increase could undermine Ethereum’s stability and security, a risk acknowledged by the “Pump The Gas” website. The proposal emphasizes a gradual increase, as rushing the gas limit too high might create unforeseen problems.
What Is the Price of Ethereum Right Now?
At the time of writing, ETH is sitting at $3,598.54.
