Ethereum May See Speed Boost in January With 80M Gas Limit

Ethereum plans to increase its network capacity by raising the gas limit from 60 million to 80 million early next year. The adjustment could enable more transactions per block and reduce congestion. Although other layer 1 networks may offer faster speeds, Ethereum’s incremental upgrades preserve its security and dependability.

New Gas Limit for Ethereum

The gas limit sets the maximum computation a single Ethereum block can handle. Raising it to 80 million means more transactions, smart contracts, and rollups can fit in each block. For users, this could mean faster confirmations and lower transaction fees, although it won’t reach the extreme speeds of some alternative chains.

It's done - the Ethereum L1 gas limit is now 60 million!

Onwards to even greater increases in 2026 - let's aim for at least a 3x to 180 million! https://t.co/nr2F5QkbhC pic.twitter.com/5eC9yfMHte

— sassal.eth/acc 🦇🔊 (@sassal0x) November 26, 2025

Ethereum is not only focused on speed but also on consistency and reliability. By raising capacity gradually, developers help ensure that all nodes on the network can keep up without sacrificing decentralization. Careful, incremental improvements like this can have a significant effect over time.

As more decentralized applications run on Ethereum, blocks that can handle more operations are becoming more important. This change strengthens Ethereum’s role in the crypto ecosystem, even if it’s not as flashy as the fastest layer 1 chains.

Technical Steps Before the Increase

Ethereum can raise its gas limit to 80M only after two key updates. The first is partial blob responses on the execution layer, and the second is the max blobs flag on the consensus layer. These updates help the network handle large off-chain data blocks, called blobs, more efficiently.

Blobs let Ethereum store transaction and rollup data without overloading the chain. This lowers gas fees and improves throughput, helping both developers and network operators.

These updates are part of Ethereum’s BPO hard forks. The first, on December 9, increased blob capacity by 66%, and the second, on January 7, will increase it further. Together, they prepare the network for the higher gas limit and show how small changes improve performance safely.

Long-Term Vision for Ethereum Capacity

The planned gas limit increase is part of Ethereum’s strategy to grow its execution capacity. In 2025, the network rose from 30M to 35M in February, 45M in July, and 60M in November. Developers aim for 180M by the end of 2026, following steady growth.

It's done - the Ethereum L1 gas limit is now 60 million!

Onwards to even greater increases in 2026 - let's aim for at least a 3x to 180 million! https://t.co/nr2F5QkbhC pic.twitter.com/5eC9yfMHte

— sassal.eth/acc 🦇🔊 (@sassal0x) November 26, 2025

Even at 80M, Ethereum won’t match the speed or low costs of some competitors. The increase, however, reinforces the network’s reliability as a settlement and execution layer, which is important for businesses and large dApps.

Unlike newer layer 1 networks that trade decentralization for speed, Ethereum focuses on small, safe improvements. This way it keeps its advantages while gradually improving the user experience.

Next Steps for Ethereum

The All Core Developers will reconvene on January 5 to set the date for the gas limit increase after the second BPO hard fork. The update will improve transaction speed, lower fees, and expand capacity for dApps and rollups. This shows the network’s focus on slow, steady updates that keep it competitive while sticking to its core principles.