The Ethereum network has increased the gas limit per block to 60 million through validator signaling, expanding immediate transaction capacity. This organic adjustment anticipates the activation of the Fusaka upgrade, which promises a major reengineering and an additional jump in the gas limit. The decision serves as a short-term scalability boost while preparing the ground for deeper structural changes.
Network-driven scaling mechanism and short-term impact
The rise to 60 million responds to a native network mechanic: when more than 50% of validators indicate support, the gas limit can automatically increase by roughly 0.1% per block. The transition from the previous 45M limit functions as a tactical congestion relief measure designed to open room for more transactions per block and moderate fee spikes. A higher limit increases the volume of smart contract calls and reduces competition during peak usage periods.
However, increasing block capacity elevates the resource load on full nodes and block builders, which could influence decentralization dynamics. The progressive expansion of the gas limit — from thousands in Ethereum’s early era to tens of millions today — reflects increasing network complexity and adoption.
Fusaka upgrade signals next scalability phase
Fusaka, scheduled to go live on mainnet on December 3, 2025, is expected to raise the limit further to 150 million gas per block. The upgrade introduces PeerDAS (EIP-7594) and Verkle Trees to improve data availability, state storage efficiency and retrieval speed. PeerDAS verifies data availability without requiring full chain downloads, while Verkle Trees compress the state footprint to streamline validation and execution.
Technical projections under Fusaka suggest transaction cost reductions of 30–60% and processing accelerations of 3–5x, particularly when paired with Layer 2 systems. The design aims to reduce operational friction and unlock higher throughput for rollups and on-chain applications. Still, more throughput increases computational requirements for validators, creating potential pressure toward infrastructure consolidation unless governance safeguards are strengthened.
Mechanisms under discussion — including Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS) and MEV Burn — seek to mitigate centralization and maintain open participation. The development direction reflects Vitalik Buterin’s framing of Ethereum’s growth as targeted rather than uniform, prioritizing efficiency gains while maintaining decentralized participation.
Ethereum’s move to 60M gas delivers immediate relief, but the structural shift will arrive with Fusaka on December 3, 2025 — a milestone that could redefine cost structures, capacity, and validator demands across the ecosystem.
