Vitalik proposes gas cap for improved Ethereum security and stability

Ethereum ecosystem, Vitalik Buterin has proposed a significant reform aimed at enhancing the network's security and stability through Ethereum Improvement Proposal EIP-7983. This proposal seeks to impose a cap on the maximum gas consumption for individual transactions, limiting it to 16,777,216 gas units . The rationale behind this initiative stems from the current system's vulnerability; it allows a single transaction to monopolize an entire block's gas limit, which poses substantial performance and security risks.

Ethereum has a per-block gas limit of around 36 million, with no gas limit on individual transactions.

The change would effectively split “large transactions into smaller chunks,” increasing the stability of Ethereum’s network, while shielding the network against “quadratic attacks” and encouraging more use of zero-knowledge proofs, a description of the proposal states.

Leaving the network without a per-transaction gas limit can bring risks such as inefficient load distribution, vulnerability to quadratic attacks, and challenges for zkVM compatibility and parallel execution.

EIP-7983 states that the proposed 16.77 million cap will apply universally, regardless of the block gas limits set by miners or validators. Transactions exceeding this limit will be rejected, according to the proposal.

According to the draft, transactions specifying gas limits beyond 16.77 million would be rejected during block validation, ensuring they cannot enter the network or be included in new blocks. The cap is independent of the overall block gas limit, which miners and validators can still adjust within existing consensus rules.

Buterin and Wahrstätter chose 16.77 million as the cap to balance complexity and performance, arguing it accommodates current advanced DeFi use cases and contract deployments without introducing unnecessary risks.

The introduction of a gas cap is expected to mitigate these vulnerabilities by reducing the potential for denial-of-service attacks and improving overall performance predictability . Furthermore, this change aligns with Ethereum's ongoing transition toward modularity. By simplifying engineering challenges associated with transaction processing, EIP-7983 aims to make Ethereum more compatible with emerging technologies such as zkVMs while maintaining minimal disruption for existing users .

In conclusion, Vitalik Buterin's proposal represents a proactive step in addressing critical issues within the Ethereum network. By capping transaction gas consumption at 16.77 million units, EIP-7983 not only enhances security but also lays the groundwork for future scalability and innovation within the blockchain environment . As Ethereum continues to evolve in response to user needs and technological advancements, such measures will be essential in ensuring its long-term viability.

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Sara H

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