TLDR
After Fusaka, Ethereum (ETH) changed fee mechanics by adding a minimum blob base fee and lifting L1 capacity. Near term some fees rose, but L2 costs should trend down as capacity ramps.
- A new minimum blob base fee ties L2 data costs to L1 base fee (EIP?7918), ending near?free blobs and restoring ETH burn per an analysis.
- The L1 gas limit increased to 60M (from 45M), raising throughput by about 33% per an Ethereum update.
- PeerDAS and scheduled BPO raises increase blob capacity (target 10 on 9 Dec, 14 on 7 Jan), guiding fees to a lower, steadier range per the post above.
Deep Dive
1. Blob Fee Floor
Fusaka introduced a floor for blob fees so L2s pay a baseline price linked to L1 execution fees, replacing periods when blobs cost ~1 wei.
- Analysts highlight a minimum blob base fee (roughly execution base fee divided by ~16) to align costs with resource use and reinstate ETH burn from L2 activity explained here.
- Early reports note temporary spikes as the floor took effect, but this is expected to normalize as capacity increases and rollups tune posting logic summary.
L2 transactions are unlikely to be free anymore, but fees should better reflect usage and burn more ETH, improving value capture over time.
2. Higher L1 Capacity
The block gas limit now defaults to 60M, allowing more transactions per block and relieving pressure during busy periods.
- The official note lists 60M (up from 45M) and other safety changes (ModExp repricing, transaction gas cap around 16.8M gas) to keep performance within safe bounds details.
- More room per block can cut L1 base fees in calm periods, though complex or very large transactions still face per?tx caps for network stability post above.
Users may see lower L1 base fees when demand is moderate, but peak?time spikes can still happen until broader scaling and rollup optimizations take hold.
3. PeerDAS and BPO Capacity Ramps
PeerDAS lets nodes sample blob data (not store it all), enabling more blobs without raising hardware requirements, and BPO raises blob targets on a schedule.
- PeerDAS unlocks higher blob throughput by reducing validator data load, foundational for cheaper L2 data publication overview.
- Blob Parameter Only (BPO) updates raise targets in stages (target 10 on 9 Dec, 14 on 7 Jan), adding capacity that should ease fees as rollups adapt their cadence timeline.
Expect a short adjustment phase, then steadier and generally lower L2 fees as capacity steps up and rollups tune posting behavior.
Conclusion
Fusaka raised the floor on L2 data fees and expanded L1 capacity. The immediate effect included some fee spikes as the new baseline took hold, but scheduled capacity increases and PeerDAS should pull L2 costs down and make them more predictable. Net result: fees shift from nearly free but volatile to fair?priced and steadier, improving ETH burn and long?term scalability.
