Ethereum Foundation researcher Dankrad Feist has introduced a bold proposal aiming to dramatically increase the network’s gas limit, a move designed to enhance transaction capacity and overall network efficiency.
On April 27, Feist submitted Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 9698, which outlines a plan to expand Ethereum’s gas limit by 100 times over the next four years. The method involves automated client-side settings, shifting away from the current system of miner and operator voting.
The Need for a Predictable Gas Limit Growth
Feist criticized the existing approach to gas limit management, noting:
“The current gas limit mechanism relies on miner/operator voting, which lacks coordination and predictability. While flexible, this approach can lead to stagnation or overly cautious increases.”
He argued that by setting a predictable exponential growth curve as a default client setting, Ethereum could benefit from a more sustainable and transparent gas limit evolution, keeping pace with expected advancements in hardware and protocol development.
What a 100x Gas Limit Increase Means
Community member Fabda.eth elaborated on Feist’s plan, suggesting that a 100-fold expansion would push Ethereum’s capacity to around 3.6 billion gas. This would enable the network to process approximately:
- 2,000 transactions per second
- 6,000 transactions per block
Such an increase would mark a significant jump from Ethereum’s current gas limit of approximately 36 million, opening new possibilities for transaction-heavy applications and reducing network congestion.
Alignment with Vitalik Buterin’s Vision
Feist’s idea is consistent with earlier suggestions by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. In February, Buterin proposed a more modest tenfold increase in the gas limit, citing the need to support base layer application development even as reliance on Layer 2 solutions grows.
Mixed Reactions from Ethereum Developers
Despite the potential benefits, several developers have voiced concerns about the ambitious pace of Feist’s proposed growth.
Concerns About Network Strain
Ethereum core developer Lukasz Rozmej warned that any significant gas limit increase should either be agreed upon manually or implemented gradually. He highlighted the risks of pushing the network too far, too fast without sufficient safeguards in place.
Calls for a More Cautious Approach
Echoing these sentiments, Ethereum Foundation developer Jochem Brouwer expressed skepticism over the four-year 100x plan. Brouwer advocated for a more incremental strategy, proposing:
“Let’s do this in steps before we have the majority of the nodes committed to this 100x increase in 4 years schedule and we will have a problem when we find out the limit is getting too high (then we thus need to coordinate with all nodes to opt-out and shut it down again).”
Brouwer suggested a more manageable path forward – doubling the gas limit over the next six months to better assess the network’s resilience under increased load before committing to further expansion.
What’s Next for Ethereum’s Scalability Plans
The debate over EIP-9698 reflects the broader tension within Ethereum’s development community between rapid scalability and cautious evolution. While some favor bold moves to meet growing demand, others warn that overextension could compromise the network’s stability and security.
As Ethereum continues to evolve, balancing ambitious innovation with careful risk management will be key to maintaining the blockchain’s long-term health and leadership position in the decentralized ecosystem.
