3 Major Risks if Ethereum Keeps Increasing Its Gas Limit

Author: Mikaia A.
Published: July 21, 2025
Reading time: ~4 minutes

⚙️ Ethereum is speeding up—but at what cost?

While ETH hovers around $3,800, the Ethereum network is undergoing a deeper technical shift: the gas limit—the maximum computational load per block—is steadily rising.

Current gas limit: 37.3 million

Target level: 45 million

50% of validators support the increase

Ethereum may be headed toward a symbolic $4,000 price mark, but its infrastructure is evolving even faster under the surface.

🧠 Buterin supports the move, but the community is divided

Vitalik Buterin posted on X:

“Almost exactly 50% of stakes are voting to increase the L1 gas limit to 45 million. The limit has already started rising—it's now at 37.3 million.”

The goal: pack more transactions into each 12-second block for a faster, smoother network.

💾 Geth update reduces archive node burden

The dominant Ethereum client, Geth, recently released version v1.16.0, delivering a massive optimization:

Archive node storage dropped from 20 TB to just 1.9 TB

Vitalik praised the update, calling it proof that higher loads can be handled safely.

Still, not everyone is convinced. One user remarked:

“Is this really scaling, or are we just cranking up the heat and hoping the kitchen doesn’t burn down?”

🧱 Three Emerging Risks

1. Exclusion of Small Validators

Increased gas limits raise hardware and bandwidth requirements, potentially locking out smaller node operators.
Ethereum risks becoming a “private club,” drifting from its decentralized roots.

2. Growing Technical Load

Higher gas limits mean more data per block and longer sync times. Without sufficient infrastructure, small nodes may fall behind or drop off the network.

3. Decentralization Trade-Off

Every performance gain may come at the cost of accessibility. A faster Ethereum isn't worth much if only major players can keep up.

📊 Key Metrics

37.3 million: current gas limit (up from 36M in May)

45 million: target limit for ~50% of validators

1.9 TB: new archive node size (Geth v1.16.0)

54%: Geth’s market share on Ethereum

🧪 Strategic Caution

Gas limit increases are capped at 0.1% per block, ensuring a gradual progression. But this careful rise still raises alarm for those worried about decentralization.

Buterin’s bet is that client innovation and scaling upgrades will balance the increased load. The challenge lies in ensuring the community keeps pace.

🛤️ Looking Forward

Ethereum is clearly pursuing a “10x Layer 1” vision. But this isn’t just a technical journey—it’s an ideological one. The destination may be speed and power, but Ethereum’s mission will only succeed if everyone can still board the train.