Ethereum
Co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently announced a groundbreaking plan to increase the gas limit on the Ethereum main network by 10 to 100 times. This ambitious proposal emerged shortly after the impressive test results by Succinct Labs working on zero-knowledge proofs (zk-proof). Buterin’s initiative could potentially initiate a new era in Ethereum’s scalability efforts.
Buterin’s Bold Move for Ethereum’s Scalability
The Ethereum community was shaken by the SP1 Hypercube demonstration presented by Succinct Labs. This zkVM (zero-knowledge virtual machine) can verify 90% of Ethereum blocks in just 12 seconds. Buterin described this achievement as “truly incredible” but also cautioned developers. He emphasized the need for the system’s stability in both average and worst-case scenarios. Also, he suggested that formal verifications are necessary for security, proposing to reduce energy consumption from 100 kW to 10 kW.
Buterin believes that 10 kW is the ideal threshold for individual users or small teams to operate this technology from their homes, making zk proof production more accessible and equitable. Such decentralization significantly contributes to the fundamental principles of the decentralized ethos.
Succinct Labs aims to adapt fast and verifiable zk proofs across networks like Ethereum and Solana 
172(SOL). This setup could lead to a new era in zero-knowledge technology by integrating into a decentralized validator network.
Massive Gas Limit Increase on the Table
Buterin’s proposal for a gas limit increase of 10 to 100 times could be a fundamental shift in Ethereum’s infrastructure. This increase could pave the way for faster and cheaper transactions, enabling advanced cryptographic processes like zk-proof at the Layer 1 level. Moreover, it could reduce the risk of censorship by allowing more validator participation in blocks.
According to YCharts, the Ethereum gas limit has risen to 35.99 million. Although this appears to be a slight daily increase, it indicates significant scalability plans behind the scenes. The expanded gas capacity could directly impact Layer 2 solutions’ performance and optimize rollup systems.
There are still technical hurdles to overcome. As Buterin noted, improving the energy efficiency of proof systems, minimizing performance fluctuations, and completing security tests in real-time scenarios are necessary steps. However, the overall outlook remains optimistic. Technological advancements and Buterin’s roadmap suggest that the altcoin giant is preparing for its next major evolution.
The plan to increase Ethereum’s gas limit by 100 times could be a radical leap for the network’s future. This development appears to be one of the most critical scalability steps since The Merge update.