Ethereum Raises Blob Limit to 21 to Boost Network Performance

Ethereum raises blob limit to 21, improving transaction throughput, rollup efficiency, and gas fee stability for enhanced network scalability.

Ethereum’s network saw a key upgrade on Wednesday, as the blob limit was raised from 15 to 21. This adjustment was part of the second Blob Parameter-Only (BPO) hard fork. 

The change aims to increase Ethereum’s data throughput, improving transaction efficiency and scalability. The move is seen as a step toward further scaling Ethereum in 2026.

Increased Blob Limit to Enhance Ethereum’s Transaction Capacity

The primary change in this update is the increase in the blob limit from 15 to 21. 

Each blob unit represents 128 kilobytes of data, and this boost allows more data in a single Ethereum block. As a result, Ethereum can handle more transactions, reducing congestion on the mainnet.

This also helps in lowering the cost of transactions by improving overall efficiency.

🔔 @Ethereum Raises Blob Limit to Enhance Network Scalability !#Ethereum implemented its second Blob Parameter-Only hard fork, increasing the blob limit from 15 to 21 to improve data throughput and support rollup scalability. The update is part of broader efforts to boost… pic.twitter.com/XXxsO1xylf

— Altcoin Alerts (@Altcoin_Alerts) January 7, 2026

The BPO hard fork also raised the blob target from 10 to 14. 

This metric is important because it ensures that the network doesn’t overload node bandwidth and storage. With this adjustment, Ethereum can maintain smoother operation while handling more transactions. 

Developers have kept scalability in mind, aiming to avoid network slowdowns or bottlenecks.

Furthermore, the increase in blobs improves Ethereum’s ability to process Layer 2 rollups more efficiently. Rollups are designed to help scale Ethereum by processing transactions off-chain and then submitting aggregated data to the mainnet. 

By supporting more blobs, Ethereum can handle a higher volume of rollups without congestion. This directly benefits users who rely on rollups for lower transaction fees.

Improved Rollup Efficiency and Cost Reduction

Ethereum’s increased blob limit supports Layer 2 rollups by making batching more efficient. 

Rollups have been vital in scaling Ethereum by offloading transaction processing from the mainnet. With more blobs available, these rollups can handle greater data volumes, leading to cheaper transactions. This change benefits both Ethereum’s mainnet and users who rely on rollups for faster and cheaper processing.

Rollups like @arbitrum are key to @ethereum future

Our Director of Product, Matt, breaks down how they work, why they matter, and where things are headed, from design to decentralization 👇https://t.co/bb8lW2A4vH

— Offchain Labs (@Offchain) January 6, 2026

Blobs also help stabilize Ethereum’s gas fees by reducing congestion. 

After the first BPO hard fork in December 2025, Ethereum saw more stable gas fees. This stability continued with the second BPO hard fork, with fewer fluctuations in transaction costs. 

More blobs allow Ethereum to handle increased transaction volume, which helps maintain gas fee consistency.

Ethereum’s improvements are important for its long-term scalability goals. 

By improving both transaction batching and gas fee stabilization, Ethereum becomes a more reliable platform for decentralized applications (dApps). As the network grows, these changes will help ensure that Ethereum remains efficient and cost-effective for users and developers alike.

Related Reading: Ethereum’s Validator Exit Queue Clears As Investors Eye $4,000

Further Network Upgrades to Boost Ethereum’s Scalability

Ethereum developers are already planning additional upgrades to enhance scalability. 

One of these is increasing the gas limit from 60 million to 80 million. This change would allow more transactions and smart contracts to be processed per block, increasing overall network capacity.

It would also help further reduce fees, making Ethereum more accessible.

In addition, Ethereum’s roadmap includes the Glamsterdam hard fork later in 2026. This upgrade will introduce “perfect parallel processing,” which aims to improve transaction throughput.3 

Perfect parallel processing will be made possible through Block Access Lists, as proposed in Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 7928.

These changes are designed to transition Ethereum from its current single-lane processing model to a multi-lane one. By allowing multiple transactions to be processed simultaneously, Ethereum will handle larger volumes of data with greater efficiency. 

This improvement is crucial as the Ethereum network continues to scale and support an expanding ecosystem.