Ethereum's High-Stakes Bet: Balancing Transaction Speed and Network Decentralization in the Gas Limit Discussion

Ethereum’s development team has agreed to increase the network’s gas limit to 60 million as part of the Fusaka upgrade, a major move aimed at boosting throughput and meeting the growing need for block space Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ]. This decision, which was finalized on September 25 by

Foundation member Tim Beiko during the All Core Devs Execution (ACDE) 221 meeting, brings forward the previously tentative December schedule. Testnet launches are planned for October, with the mainnet rollout anticipated soon after Ethereum Developers Approve 60M Gas Limit in Upcoming Fusaka … [ 2 ]. This will be the third time the gas limit has been raised in 2025, following previous increases to 36 million in February and 45 million in July Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ]. The new 60 million cap is projected to enhance Layer-1 throughput by 33% and Layer-2 scalability by 133% by the end of the year, according to former Galaxy Digital analyst Christine Kim Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ].

Raising the gas limit is a cornerstone of Ethereum’s scaling roadmap, allowing for more transactions per block and greater efficiency across both Layer-1 and Layer-2 platforms Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ]. On Ethereum, gas quantifies the computational effort needed for on-chain operations like token transfers or deploying contracts. Increasing the limit enables higher throughput and helps ease congestion during busy periods. Leading staking provider Everstake noted that this upgrade will allow “more transactions per block, higher throughput, and improved efficiency” Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ]. However, the change requires approval from at least half of the network’s validators to take effect, as per Ethereum’s consensus mechanism. As of September, 17% of validators have signaled support for the 60 million threshold Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ].

The Fusaka upgrade also introduces 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) focused on scaling, node robustness, and efficiency, without altering smart contract functionality Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ]. Notable EIPs include PeerDAS for data availability sampling and Spam Resistance Checks to counteract malicious transaction spam Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ]. This upgrade is part of Ethereum’s regular six-month development cycle and comes ahead of the Devconnect event in Buenos Aires, highlighting a strategic effort to strengthen the network’s core systems Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ]. Developers have chosen to focus on gradual, incremental upgrades rather than sweeping changes, which is a defining feature of Ethereum’s governance approach Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ].

Although the gas limit hike is widely regarded as essential for accommodating network expansion, it has generated discussion within the community. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has consistently supported slow, measured increases to avoid overburdening nodes, while some warn that rapid scaling could further separate large, professional validators from smaller participants Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ]. Detractors argue that higher gas limits could lead to increased storage and bandwidth requirements, possibly resulting in more centralized validation Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ]. Despite these reservations, supporters stress the importance of keeping up with rising transaction demand and ensuring Ethereum remains competitive in the blockchain sector Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade promises 60 million gas limit boost [ 1 ].

The rollout schedule for the Fusaka upgrade demonstrates a careful and methodical deployment process. Devnet-3 was introduced in July 2025, followed by public testnets in September and October to catch any issues before the mainnet launch Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ]. The mainnet fork is slated for November 5, 2025, with a specific block height set to ensure a seamless transition. Looking forward, Ethereum’s plans include further gas limit changes and possible reductions in block time as part of the 2026 Glamsterdam fork Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ]. These initiatives are designed to strike a balance between improved performance and maintaining decentralization, a persistent challenge in blockchain evolution Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: What the November 2025 … [ 3 ].