Key Highlights
- Ethereum’s first BPO fork is live, raising blob limits to 10–15 per block.
- The Fusaka upgrade improved network capacity, validator efficiency, and Layer-2 support.
- The next step is the Glamsterdam upgrade plan aimed at smoother future upgrades.
Ethereum’s first Blob Parameter Only (BPO) fork is now live, marking a new step in the network’s plan to increase data capacity. The update adjusts blob limits without using a full hard fork and was enabled by last week’s Fusaka upgrade.
“Blob count per block is up 67%,” Etherscan shared on X, confirming that the new target is now 10 blobs and the new maximum is 15. This change is designed to give the blockchain more space for data used by Layer-2 rollups. It also pushes Ethereum toward faster scaling without heavy changes to the main chain.
Smooth activation with only minor issues
The Fusaka upgrade went live on mainnet at 4:49 PM ET on December 4, following the 225th All Core Developers Execution meeting. The transition was mostly smooth, though around 25% of validators running the Prysm client saw a short drop in participation.
Developers resolved the issue quickly, and validator activity returned close to full levels. There is also a minor Nethermind-Nimbus issue under review, but developers said only a small number of users are affected. Overall, Fusaka landed cleanly, and the Ethereum chain stayed stable during the switch.
Fusaka brings new improvements meant to increase network capacity, make validator work easier, and give Layer-2 systems more room to grow. James Smith from the Ethereum Foundation said, “Fusaka is the upgrade that makes Ethereum feel bigger without looking different.”
He explained that it gives the network more bandwidth, stronger defenses, and better wallet support while keeping the base layer light and decentralized.
Next steps: Automated BPO fork and Glamsterdam
The upgrade also introduces PeerDAS, a system that lets validators sample small pieces of rollup data instead of downloading full blobs, reducing bandwidth use.
Since Fusaka became active, developers have been preparing for the first automated BPO hard fork. This system automatically adjusts blob parameters and aims to make upgrades smoother and more adaptive. Work is also moving forward on the next big upgrade, Glamsterdam, where developers reviewed more than 40 proposals and cut the list down to a smaller group so the upgrade stays simple and safe.
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