- The Boost: Ethereum raised its block gas limit to 60 million, a 33% capacity increase for the base layer.
- The Record: Layer-2 networks processed 31,000 TPS, with ZK-rollup ‘Lighter’ leading at 5,455 TPS.
- The Upgrade: The ‘Fusaka’ hard fork launches Dec 3 to optimize data availability for this new load.
Ethereum has executed its most significant base-layer scaling maneuver in four years, raising the network’s block gas limit to 60 million. The 33% capacity increase, ratified by validator consensus this week, marks a strategic shift from “L2-only” scaling to a hybrid model where the mainnet itself expands to support a surging ecosystem.
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Expanded Capacity Backed by Technical Progress
This capacity hike is not a hard fork but a parameter adjustment coordinated by validators and researchers like the Ethereum Foundation’s Toni Wahrstätter.
It serves as the infrastructure pre-game for Fusaka (the combined Fulu-Osaka upgrade), scheduled for December 3. Engineers have signaled that client optimizations, specifically EIP-7623 have created strong enough “guardrails” around block size to allow this expansion without risking centralization or node crashes.
Record Throughput: The 31,000 TPS Benchmark
The move coincides with a massive liquidity stress test. Aggregate Layer-2 throughput hit a record 31,000 transactions per second (TPS) in the last 24 hours.
Leading this surge is Lighter, a specialized ZK-rollup for perpetuals, which clocked over 5,455 TPS—more than 50x the throughput of the Ethereum base layer itself. This data confirms Vitalik Buterin’s thesis: L2s are the speed, but a fatter L1 pipe is needed to settle their proofs.
Vitalik Eyes Targeted Adjustments in 2026
Meanwhile, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin suggested a shift toward more selective optimization. He indicated that future increases may link higher gas limits with increased costs for operations that consume heavier computation. Hence, developers expect a model that improves efficiency while avoiding unnecessary growth in block size.
This discussion gained momentum as Layer-2 networks reported record throughput. Data from GrowThePie showed activity peaking at nearly 31,000 transactions per second in one day.
Lighter, a zero-knowledge rollup focused on perpetuals, led with more than 5,000 TPS. Base followed with steady output, while other rollups maintained smaller but consistent activity levels.
Ethereum Market Strengthens Ahead of the Upgrade
Ethereum traded near $3,011 as of press time with a 24-hour increase of almost three percent. Moreover, the network’s market capitalization reached $363 billion as traders monitored rising activity and the approaching upgrade. The price trend reflects steady demand across a circulating supply of 120 million ETH.
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