Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade Set for December Mainnet Launch
The Ethereum Fusaka upgrade is scheduled to activate on the mainnet in December 2023, following successful testnet runs on Sepolia, Holesky and Hoodi. Combining EIP-4844 (proto-danksharding) and EIP-7594 for Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS), the Ethereum Fusaka upgrade enhances data availability, reduces bandwidth requirements and lowers gas fees for layer-2 rollups.
To address high blob usage—99.6% on Arbitrum One and 99.2% on OP Mainnet—developers will introduce two parameter-only forks: one around December 17 to raise max blob counts from 9 to 15, and another on January 7, 2026, increasing the limit to 21. These lightweight forks require no client software updates and aim to relieve network congestion and drive further rollup adoption.
A $2 million audit contest on Sherlock, sponsored by Gnosis and Lido, is now underway to uncover vulnerabilities before the mainnet launch. Confirmed at All Core Devs Consensus Call #165, the activation meets the 30-day notice period after the final Hoodi testnet fork. By leveraging the Ethereum Fusaka upgrade, traders can expect lower transaction costs and improved throughput, potentially boosting DeFi and NFT activity across layer-2 networks.
Bullish
The Ethereum Fusaka upgrade introduces proto-danksharding and PeerDAS to reduce data and bandwidth costs while expanding blob capacity, directly addressing layer-2 congestion and high gas fees. In the short term, this may cause volatility as traders adjust bots and gas strategies around the activation date. However, in the long term, improved scalability and lower transaction costs should drive higher layer-2 usage, bolster DeFi and NFT ecosystems, and strengthen demand for ETH. Historical upgrades that enhance throughput and reduce fees often result in bullish sentiment as network utility increases, making this development a positive catalyst for Ethereum’s market performance.