Ethereum developers are proposing a gas limit increase to boost Layer-1 throughput. Solana devs are also planning a 66% block limit upgrade.
Ethereum developers are revisiting plans to expand the network’s block gas limit, this time from 36 million to 45 million units. The proposal, already backed by approximately 50% of validators, aims to boost transaction throughput while easing congestion across the Layer-1 chain.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently reaffirmed the case for this increase, citing its potential to improve scalability and reduce fees for users.
The push is not new. Calls for a higher gas ceiling date back to May, when some developers floated a jump to 60 million units. The current ask is more modest but still impactful.
A higher gas limit means more transactions can fit into each block, allowing the network to handle greater demand.
However, it could also raise the barrier to entry for full node operators, as more computing power and storage would be required. Critics caution that if hardware requirements balloon, Ethereum’s decentralization could suffer.
Despite these concerns, the broader developer community remains optimistic. They argue that the increase is necessary to meet the growing demands of DeFi protocols, restaking services, and Layer-2 rollups, all of which depend on a robust and scalable base layer.
Solana Also Seeks Throughput Gains with SIMD-0286
In parallel, Solana developers are advancing a similar scalability upgrade. Their proposal, filed as SIMD-0286, would raise the network’s per-block compute unit cap from 60 million to 100 million, a 66% increase.
Solana’s block limits define how much computational work can be handled in each 400-millisecond block. A higher limit would reduce “compute budget exceeded” errors for high-performance apps like MEV bots and order-book DEXs.
The previous increase to 60 million CUs was activated on July 23 via SIMD-0256. With demand from NFTs, DePIN projects, and DeFi continuing to grow, developers argue that 100 million compute units are necessary to maintain performance.
If adopted, the change will go live in a future epoch once validators upgrade to the new software and opt into the updated limit.
next