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Ethereum Foundation researcher Dankrad Feist has proposed a bold plan to scale Ethereum’s transaction capacity by 100 times over the next four years.
Feist, known for his contributions to Ethereum’s data storage solutions, introduced EIP-9698 on April 27. The proposal outlines a “deterministic gas limit growth schedule” beginning around June 1, aimed at massively increasing the blockchain’s scalability.
Gradual Growth to 2,000 TPS
Under Feist’s plan, the gas limit would grow by a factor of 10 over two years across 164,250 epochs, followed by another 10-fold jump. This could theoretically boost Ethereum’s transaction throughput from approximately 20 transactions per second (TPS) today to around 2,000 TPS.
The proposal aligns with expected advancements in hardware and protocol efficiency. Feist emphasized that a predictable growth model would enable node operators and developers to adapt gradually without overwhelming the network. If successful, Ethereum could better compete with high-throughput blockchains like Solana, which currently handles between 800 to 1,050 non-vote TPS.
How serious is Ethereum about scaling L1?
— fabda.eth (@fabdarice) April 27, 2025
Answer: Exponentially increase gas limit 100x over 4 years by @dankrad
How: Clients sets default and automatically raise the gas limit every epoch (users can still override).
100x means:
– 3.6B gas limit
~2000 TPS
– 6000 tx per block https://t.co/3Wjb5EKKck
Technical Challenges and Road Ahead
EIP-9698 would expand Ethereum’s gas limit from 36 million to 3.6 billion, potentially allowing around 6,000 transactions per block. However, Feist acknowledged risks such as stressing less-optimized nodes and increasing block propagation times.
“The exponential schedule with very gradual increments per epoch gives node operators and developers ample time to adapt and optimize,” Feist explained.
The proposal follows Ethereum validators’ recent decision to raise the gas limit from 30 million to 36 million earlier this year. The last major gas limit adjustment before that occurred during the London hard fork in 2021.
Meanwhile, Ethereum developers are also exploring EIP-9678, which proposes a fourfold gas limit increase in the upcoming Fusaka hard fork, expected by late 2025. The next immediate upgrade, Pectra, is slated for May.
Also Read: Ethereum Developers Propose 4x Gas Limit Increase Ahead of Fusaka Hard Fork
As Ethereum continues balancing base-layer scalability with layer-2 solutions, proposals like EIP-9698 could mark a pivotal shift in how the network evolves to meet growing global demand.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The author’s views are personal and may not reflect the views of Chain Affairs. Before making any investment decisions, you should always conduct your own research. Chain Affairs is not responsible for any financial losses.
I’m a crypto enthusiast with a background in finance. I’m fascinated by the potential of crypto to disrupt traditional financial systems. I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative projects in the space. I believe that crypto has the potential to create a more equitable and inclusive financial system.
