A new Ethereum Improvement Proposal, EIP-9698, has been introduced by Ethereum Foundation researcher Dankrad Feist. This proposal outlines a plan to automatically increase the Ethereum network's gas limit over a four-year period, aiming to significantly enhance the blockchain's transaction processing capacity.
The core idea involves implementing a predictable, exponential increase in the gas limit through client defaults, eliminating the need for manual validator voting. This systematic approach intends to align scalability improvements with anticipated advancements in hardware and protocol efficiency.
Understanding the Proposed Changes
EIP-9698 suggests raising the gas limit ceiling from the current 36 million units to approximately 3.6 billion units. This hundredfold increase represents one of the most substantial potential upgrades to Ethereum's base layer capacity in recent years.
The proposal introduces a deterministic schedule baked into client software that would gradually nudge the gas limit upward by a small preset amount every epoch. This method ensures that validators can maintain their equipment without facing sudden, disruptive upgrades while providing the network with predictable scaling trajectory.
Expected Performance Improvements
If implemented, these changes could dramatically improve Ethereum's transaction throughput. Current estimates suggest the network could handle approximately 6,000 simple transfers per block and achieve over 2,000 transactions per second (TPS). This represents a significant leap from Ethereum's current capacity of approximately 15-20 TPS.
The proposed activation point is set for Beacon-chain epoch 369017, roughly corresponding to June 1 of this year. The implementation would not require a hard fork, as the changes would be integrated through client updates.
Addressing Current Limitations
The existing gas limit mechanism relies on miner and operator voting, which often lacks coordination and predictability. While this approach offers flexibility, it has frequently led to stagnation or overly cautious increases that don't keep pace with technological improvements and user demand.
Feist's proposal aims to create a more sustainable and transparent growth pattern for Ethereum's capacity. By establishing a clear trajectory, developers and users can better plan for the network's evolution while validators can prepare for gradual increases in resource requirements.
The Broader Context for Scaling
This proposal emerges as Ethereum faces increasing competition from alternative blockchains that offer faster settlement times and lower transaction fees. The network has witnessed some migration of financial activity and users to other ecosystems in recent years, highlighting the importance of scaling solutions.
The automatic gas limit increase represents a complementary approach to existing Layer 2 scaling solutions, potentially enhancing base layer capacity while maintaining Ethereum's security and decentralization properties.
For those interested in tracking the technical implementation progress and community discussion around this proposal, explore more development updates from the Ethereum research community.
Implementation Considerations
While the proposal suggests client teams implement the automatic increase as a default setting, node operators would retain the ability to manually override these settings. This balance between automation and control allows for network-wide improvements while respecting individual operator constraints.
The four-year timeline provides adequate opportunity for hardware advancements to catch up with increased network demands, ensuring that validators can maintain participation without excessive resource requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EIP-9698?
EIP-9698 is an Ethereum Improvement Proposal that suggests automatically increasing the network's gas limit over four years. This systematic approach would raise the limit from 36 million to 3.6 billion units, significantly enhancing transaction capacity without requiring manual validator voting.
How would this affect Ethereum's transaction speed?
If implemented, the proposal could increase Ethereum's transaction processing capacity to approximately 2,000 transactions per second, a substantial improvement from the current 15-20 TPS. This would enable around 6,000 simple transfers per block.
When might these changes take effect?
The proposed activation target is Beacon-chain epoch 369017, roughly corresponding to June 1 of this year. However, the implementation depends on approval from client maintainers and core developers, followed by integration into client software.
Would this require a hard fork?
No, the changes would not require a hard fork. The gas limit adjustments would be implemented through client updates, with the automatic increase set as the default configuration while allowing operators to manually override if necessary.
How does this proposal differ from previous scaling solutions?
Unlike Layer 2 solutions that process transactions off-chain, this approach directly increases base layer capacity. It also replaces the current manual voting system with a predictable, automated increase schedule that better coordinates network-wide scaling.
What challenges might this proposal face?
The main considerations include ensuring validator hardware can handle the gradual increases, maintaining network security under higher throughput, and achieving consensus among core developers and client teams about the implementation details.