KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Ethereum is enhancing Layer 2 systems with blob scaling to improve data availability, crucial for secure L2 solutions.
- The upcoming Fusaka network upgrade will introduce PeerDAS, reducing computational load and increasing blob count without raising node requirements.
- Incremental changes, including Blob Parameter Only hard forks, aim to progressively scale Ethereum’s throughput, setting the stage for a theoretical 8x increase.
- Long-term research under FullDAS explores innovations in peer-to-peer networking to maintain security while scaling data availability.
Ethereum has announced its approach to blob scaling as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance Layer 2 (L2) systems. This initiative follows the Protocol Update 001 and aims to improve data availability, a crucial component for secure L2 solutions. Data availability ensures that updates made by L2s to the Layer 1 (L1) can be verified by anyone. Blobs, the unit of data availability in the protocol, are central to this process, and scaling the blob count per block is essential for the adoption of use cases such as real-time payments, decentralized finance (DeFi), social media, gaming, and AI applications.
The Ethereum team is implementing a series of incremental changes to the blob architecture to accelerate scaling. Moving beyond a “fork-centric” philosophy, they plan to introduce optimizations in non-breaking ways as they become ready. The first milestone in this process is the delivery of PeerDAS in the upcoming Fusaka network upgrade. PeerDAS introduces data availability sampling (DAS), allowing individual nodes to download only a subset of blob data in a block. This approach reduces computational load and enables an increase in blob count without raising node requirements.
The Fusaka upgrade, expected later this year, will include implementations across all Ethereum clients. Extensive testing has been conducted on development networks, including scenarios involving non-finality and adversarial data withholding conditions. Barnabas Busa is leading the efforts to ensure a smooth progression through the final stages of the upgrade pipeline.
Incremental Scaling and Future Upgrades
Ethereum’s strategy includes two prongs of non-consensus changes to progressively scale blobs between the Fusaka and Glamsterdam upgrades: Blob Parameter Only (BPO) hard forks and bandwidth optimizations. These changes aim to improve bandwidth utilization, allowing for higher throughput. PeerDAS, introduced in Fusaka, sets the stage for a theoretical 8x increase in Ethereum’s throughput, from approximately 64 KB/s to 512 KB/s. Instead of an immediate jump to this maximum, developers have opted for a gradual increase via BPOs, which automatically increase blob capacity over time without manual intervention.
Raúl Kripalani and Marco Munizaga are leading efforts to optimize network engineering. A promising development is the introduction of “cell-level messaging,” which allows nodes to query parts of the samples introduced in PeerDAS more intelligently. This change reduces redundant communication, freeing up bandwidth for additional blob capacity. These optimizations can be implemented before the Glamsterdam upgrade, scheduled for mid-2026, without requiring consensus or execution protocol changes.
Long-Term Vision for Blob Scaling
Beyond the immediate upgrades, Ethereum is exploring various research directions under the moniker FullDAS to continue scaling data availability while maintaining Ethereum’s security properties. These proposals involve innovations in peer-to-peer networking, enabling a diverse set of participants to shard an increasing number of samples while remaining fault-tolerant to adversarial actors. Francesco D’Amato is leading this research, which also considers low-latency inclusion, censorship resistance, and evolutions of the blob fee market.
For more details, the full announcement can be found here.
Why This Matters: Impact, Industry Trends & Expert Insights
Ethereum’s introduction of blob scaling as part of its Fusaka upgrade aims to enhance Layer 2 adoption by improving data availability and system efficiency. This initiative is crucial for supporting real-time payments, DeFi, and other applications on the Ethereum network.
Recent industry reports indicate that Ethereum’s ongoing upgrades focus on increasing blob capacity and efficiency, which are essential for massive Layer 2 rollup scaling. This aligns with Ethereum’s efforts to improve data availability through blob scaling, facilitating the adoption of diverse use cases. Galaxy
A Cointelegraph report highlights that the Fusaka upgrade is seen as a critical step towards enhancing Ethereum’s scalability and efficiency. This supports Ethereum’s strategic move to implement blob scaling, which is pivotal for the network’s long-term scalability and decentralization goals. Cointelegraph
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