Ethereum’s upcoming Fusaka upgrade is being promoted as a significant advancement in scaling; it symbolizes a new method for implementing changes to the network. Rather than relying on extensive, prolonged revisions, the Fusaka upgrade demonstrates Ethereum’s capability to deliver impactful updates within a six-month timeframe.
Central to Fusaka is the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP)-7594, also known as Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS). This technical modification alters how Ethereum processes data from rollups, alleviating the need for node operators to invest in costly data-center equipment while maintaining decentralization. This aligns with the strategic roadmap established by the Ethereum Foundation for the coming year.
“Ethereum is now trying to be more strategic in what it’s delivering and how quickly it’s delivering it,” said Chris Berry, head of onchain engineering at Bitwise Onchain Solutions, one of the long-standing institutional Ether (ETH) staking firms.
“Ethereum ahora está tratando de ser más estratégico en lo que está entregando y cuán rápido lo está haciendo.”
What Fusaka Actually Changes
Following the introduction of Dencun with blobs and Pectra improving user experience, Fusaka builds upon that groundwork. PeerDAS innovatively modifies how nodes manage rollup data by allowing validators to verify smaller data segments rather than downloading entire blobs, resulting in reduced duplicity and bandwidth.
“There’s a lot of duplication that gets sent around the network,” stated Steve Berryman, adding, “PeerDAS reduces that duplication of data.”
Further, the upgrade formalizes a new method for adjusting blob capacity, which are data packets used by rollups for posting extensive off-chain transaction data to the main chain efficiently. Whereas prior adjustments to blob limits necessitated a full hard fork, the new system allows for “blob-parameter-only” enhancements without requiring a tediously elaborate process.
A Symbiotic Relationship Between L1 and L2
Fusaka does not merely increase bandwidth; it reevaluates the fee structure between layer 1 (L1) and layer 2 (L2). Ethereum’s road to rollup-centric strategies is dependent on a robust partnership, where L2s require affordable and dependable data space on L1, matched by fair compensation to L1 for its provision.
“There’s a symbiotic relationship between the L1 and the L2,” Berry explained. “You want L2s to pay a fair price so they’re not taking advantage of the L1, but equally you want the L1 to be fairly priced so it’s not taking advantage of the L2.”
For users, early results indicate possibilities of lower gas fees and reduced congestion. “We’ve already seen the pending transaction pool shrinking,” Berryman observed. “I started in 2015, and I can’t remember seeing gas prices as cheap as they are now on Ethereum.”
Security and Home Stakers
Upgrades affecting data availability raise crucial questions regarding node requirements and home stakers. Fusaka has been crafted to ensure compatibility with consumer-grade hardware, supported by extensive testnet trials to guarantee that increased blob capacity does not inadvertently exclude smaller operators.
“It’s all about scaling without compromising our core values,” said Berryman. “Home stakers are an important part of the network. We don’t want to go beyond what a home staker can run at home, and Fusaka respects that.”
Berry emphasized that the true measure of success will focus on overall stability and increased utilization rather than standout figures. “First, that the upgrade goes out securely and doesn’t break anything. Then, over the next few months, we actually see the network using the new capacity, more blobs hitting their targets, and more gas per block being utilized. It’s one thing to add capacity; it’s another for the ecosystem to grow into it.”
