On February 4, 2025, over 50% of Ethereum validators signaled their support for raising the network's gas limit, a crucial step towards enhancing transaction capacity on the Ethereum blockchain. Specifically, 52% of validators backed the increase, surpassing the necessary threshold for implementation.
The current average gas limit has been around 30 million since August 2021, after a previous increase from 15 million. Recent data indicates that the gas limit is already on the rise, with a transaction occurring at approximately 3 AM UTC showing a gas limit exceeding 33 million.
This proposed increase marks the first adjustment under Ethereum's proof-of-stake system following the Merge upgrade in September 2022. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has called for the upcoming Pectra fork, scheduled for March, which aims to further enhance the network's capacity.
Despite the support, there remains a divide within the Ethereum community regarding the extent of the increase, with some advocating for a limit of up to 40 million to reduce transaction fees, while others caution against potential risks to network stability.