Étienne Girard
A growing number of Ethereum validators — currently over 150,000, or about 15% of the network — are supporting a proposal to significantly raise the blockchain’s block gas limit, a move that could enhance transaction throughput on Ethereum’s Layer 1.
According to analytics platform gaslimit.pics, developed by Ethereum researcher Toni Wahrstätter, the suggested upgrade would elevate the gas limit to 60 million units, almost double the current cap of 36 million.
In Ethereum’s architecture, gas functions as a unit of measurement for computational effort required to perform transactions and run smart contracts. The block gas limit defines the total amount of gas that all transactions in a single block can consume.
Increasing this limit allows the network to process more data per block, effectively boosting throughput and reducing congestion. Unlike traditional upgrades that require a hard fork, this adjustment can occur organically — as long as more than 50% of validators support the change by modifying their node configurations, the limit will adjust automatically.
Ethereum’s Gas Limit History: A Gradual Climb
This is not the first time Ethereum has adjusted its gas ceiling. Back in 2021, the limit was doubled from 15 million to 30 million, and it was most recently raised to 36 million in February 2025. The proposed jump to 60 million represents the most ambitious increase to date.
Opportunities and Risks: Developers Caution on Hardware Load
While this potential change could substantially increase the network’s transaction capacity, not all developers are in favor. Some warn that a higher gas ceiling could overload node operators, especially those with limited hardware, potentially risking network stability and syncing issues.
Still, the steady rise in validator support shows the Ethereum community’s growing appetite for scalability without compromising decentralization — a crucial goal as Ethereum continues to serve as the foundation for a massive ecosystem of decentralized applications.
