Ethereum’s PeerDAS Strategy: Achieving Scalability While Preserving Decentralization

Ethereum is facing mounting data storage issues as the use of on-chain blobs rapidly increases, sparking worries about the practicality of home staking and the network’s ability to scale over time. On-chain analyst Hildobby reports that

validators now need more than 70 gigabytes of space to handle blobs—temporary data packets introduced by EIP-4844 to lower Layer-2 (L2) expenses. If left unresolved, storage requirements could soar to 1.2 terabytes, putting pressure on decentralized systems and potentially leading to more centralized node management Vitalik Buterin Outlines Scalable Solution for Ethereum’s Data Surge [ 1 ]. The swift uptake of blobs, fueled by L2 platforms such as Base, , and Scroll, has made the problem worse, prompting Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin to propose a vital upgrade: Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS).

Buterin’s PeerDAS proposal is designed to spread the responsibility of storing blobs across the network, so no single node is overloaded. This system uses probabilistic checks, where nodes request small segments of data to confirm that over half of the total data is accessible. Erasure coding is used to recover any missing information, which eases storage needs while preserving data reliability Vitalik Buterin Outlines Scalable Solution for Ethereum’s Data Surge [ 1 ]. Still, Buterin notes that full block data is required during initial distribution or when rebuilding, stressing the importance of “honest participants” to perform these tasks. The network’s defense against bad actors comes from redundancy, as other nodes can step in if some data is lost or tampered with Vitalik Buterin Outlines Scalable Solution for Ethereum’s Data Surge [ 1 ].

The Ethereum core team is moving forward with PeerDAS through a series of gradual upgrades to minimize potential risks. The first step, the Blob Parameter Only (BPO) fork scheduled for December 17, 2024, will raise blob targets from 6/9 to 10/15 per block. Another fork planned for January 7, 2026, will further increase these limits to 14/21. This step-by-step approach lets developers observe network behavior and fine-tune parameters as needed, ensuring a balance between scalability and stability Vitalik Buterin Outlines Scalable Solution for Ethereum’s Data Surge [ 1 ]. Buterin anticipates that these changes will encourage greater blob usage, paving the way for future expansions and allowing Ethereum’s base layer to eventually process all execution data through blobs Vitalik Buterin Outlines Scalable Solution for Ethereum’s Data Surge [ 1 ].

Buterin’s broader vision for Ethereum, detailed in his blog, aims to scale the network to 100,000 transactions per second (TPS)—a dramatic leap from the current 173.6 TPS with blobs or 607 TPS with calldata. Essential technologies include Data Availability Sampling (DAS), L2 data compression, and generalized Plasma using SNARKs. DAS, which employs both 1D and 2D sampling, boosts throughput while keeping the network decentralized. At the same time, L2 compression methods like signature aggregation and address streamlining are intended to shrink the amount of data stored on-chain Ethereum’s Surge Roadmap Targets 100,000 Transactions Per Second [ 2 ]. Together, these advancements tackle the challenge of balancing security, decentralization, and throughput by using cryptographic proofs and distributed validation Ethereum’s Surge Roadmap Targets 100,000 Transactions Per Second [ 2 ].

Buterin’s insights highlight the importance of peer-reviewed, trustless mechanisms for Ethereum’s continued development. The gradual rollout of PeerDAS and BPO forks demonstrates a careful approach to scaling, with a focus on maintaining network reliability over rapid growth. By spreading data availability checks throughout the network, Ethereum seeks to avoid centralization while keeping L2 costs manageable. This approach fits within the larger “Surge” roadmap, which also features “The Verge” (simplified block verification), “The Purge” (reducing storage), and “The Splurge” (further enhancements). Collectively, these stages are intended to transform Ethereum from a network handling 15–30 TPS to one capable of processing hundreds of thousands of transactions per second Ethereum’s Surge Roadmap Targets 100,000 Transactions Per Second [ 2 ].

Ethereum’s progress depends on overcoming technical hurdles and striking a balance between innovation and security. As blob adoption accelerates, the effectiveness of PeerDAS and related upgrades will be crucial in determining if the network can maintain decentralization while scaling to meet rising demand. Both developers and the wider community are watching the December 2024 BPO fork closely, seeing it as a key milestone for Ethereum’s future in a world where blockchain data needs are ever-increasing Vitalik Buterin Outlines Scalable Solution for Ethereum’s Data Surge [ 1 ].