Ethereum's core development team has officially confirmed the final scope of the upcoming Fusaka upgrade, adding one new proposal, EIP-7939, bringing the total to 12 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). This decision marks the transition from the planning phase to implementation for one of the most significant hard fork upgrades since The Merge.
Widely anticipated to launch by the end of 2025, the Fusaka upgrade is expected to bring a new order of magnitude in data capacity for Layer 2 (L2) solutions. This expansion could drive L2 transaction fees even lower over the next one to two years, further solidifying Ethereum's competitive advantage in the blockchain ecosystem.
The Ongoing Logic of Ethereum’s Scaling Roadmap
Ethereum's scalability challenges have historically been a major bottleneck, causing high on-chain costs and hindering the widespread adoption of decentralized applications (DApps). According to data shared by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin in April of this year, Ethereum Layer 1 (L1) currently handles about 15 transactions per second (TPS), with the Gas limit recently increased to 36 million—representing a sixfold growth over the past decade.
Meanwhile, Layer 2 solutions have made remarkable progress, now achieving roughly 250 TPS and delivering substantial improvements in both performance and user experience. Over the past year, mainstream L2s such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base have reduced transfer fees to the range of $0.01 or even lower, representing a reduction of several orders of magnitude.
These advances are the result of Ethereum’s consistent execution of its technical roadmap:
- The Merge in 2022 transitioned Ethereum to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), drastically reducing energy consumption and freeing up execution layer bandwidth for future upgrades.
- The Dencun upgrade in 2024 introduced Blob data mechanisms, providing L2s with low-cost, temporary data storage and significantly reducing Rollup operating costs.
- The Pectra upgrade in May 2025 optimized validator operations and enhanced the flexibility of the PoS system.
The upcoming Fusaka upgrade is poised to be the next critical step in this ongoing evolution.
A Complete Overview of the Fusaka Upgrade
The upgrade includes 12 core EIPs, covering multiple technical dimensions such as data availability, node light-weighting, Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) optimization, and execution layer and data layer coordination.
The most notable proposal is EIP‑7594 (PeerDAS), which introduces a Data Availability Sampling (DAS) mechanism. This allows validators to verify Blob data by downloading only a portion of it, rather than the entire dataset, significantly reducing network load and improving validation efficiency.
The concept of Blob technology traces back to EIP-4844 in the 2024 Dencun upgrade, which allowed L2s to embed large amounts of transaction data into Blobs, avoiding the use of Ethereum mainnet state storage and drastically cutting L2 Gas fees.
Additionally, the Pectra upgrade increased Blob capacity from 3 to 6 per block. Fusaka aims to expand this further to a phased target of 12–24 Blobs per block, with a theoretical maximum of 512 Blobs per block once DAS is fully implemented.
When deployed, these improvements could boost L2 processing capacity to tens of thousands of TPS, greatly enhancing the usability and cost structure of high-frequency on-chain interactions and driving further development in DeFi, social networks, gaming, and other ecosystems.
Beyond data scaling, Fusaka also introduces Verkle trees to lighten node structures and compress state proof sizes, enabling light clients and stateless verification. Several EVM optimizations are also included:
- EIP‑7939 (CLZ opcode): Implements efficient bitwise operations to accelerate cryptographic computations.
- EIP‑7951 (secp256r1 support): Improves compatibility with Web2 and enterprise architectures.
- EIP‑7907: Increases contract size limits, enabling the deployment of more complex logic.
To ensure that scaling does not compromise network stability, Fusaka introduces EIP‑7934 to set block size limits and uses EIP-7892 and EIP-7918 to dynamically adjust Blob usage fees, preventing resource abuse.
A Watershed Moment for Ethereum Scaling and User Experience?
Overall, Fusaka is not just a technical upgrade—it lays the foundation for bridging scalability with usability across multiple fronts.
For Rollup developers, it means lower data writing costs and greater flexibility. For wallet and infrastructure providers, it enables support for more complex interactions and higher node load capacity. End users will benefit from lower-cost and faster on-chain operations, while enterprises and compliance-focused users will find it easier to integrate on-chain interactions with regulatory systems thanks to EVM extensions and simplified state proofs.
It is important to note, however, that as of this writing, Fusaka is still undergoing testing on several devnets, and the final mainnet deployment timeline may change. Under optimistic projections, Fusaka could launch by the end of 2025, potentially marking another major milestone in Ethereum’s history following The Merge.
In summary, Fusaka not only enhances Ethereum’s on-chain scaling capabilities but also represents a critical step toward mainstream business applications and broader user adoption. It provides a robust technical foundation for the next stage of Rollup ecosystems, enterprise-grade DApps, and on-chain user experience.
The true watershed moment for Ethereum’s journey toward mass adoption may be just around the corner.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main goal of the Fusaka upgrade?
The Fusaka upgrade aims to significantly expand Ethereum's data capacity and efficiency, particularly for Layer 2 solutions. By introducing mechanisms like Data Availability Sampling (DAS) and increasing Blob capacity, it seeks to reduce transaction costs and improve scalability.
How will Fusaka benefit everyday users?
End users can expect faster and cheaper transactions on Ethereum Layer 2 networks. This enhancement will make activities like DeFi trading, gaming, and social interactions more affordable and responsive.
What is Data Availability Sampling (DAS)?
DAS is a mechanism that allows validators to verify data by sampling small segments rather than downloading entire Blobs. This reduces the hardware requirements for nodes and helps the network scale more efficiently.
When is Fusaka expected to go live?
The upgrade is currently targeted for late 2025, though the timeline may adjust based on testing outcomes. It is one of the most anticipated upgrades since The Merge.
How does Fusaka improve compatibility with enterprise systems?
With EIP-7951, Fusaka adds support for the secp256r1 elliptic curve, which is widely used in traditional Web2 and enterprise environments, making it easier to integrate Ethereum with existing systems.
Will Fusaka make Ethereum more decentralized?
Yes, features like Verkle trees and stateless verification will allow lighter node operation, reducing hardware barriers and potentially increasing participation in network validation.