Is Blob Space Insufficient, and Is Ethereum L2 on the Verge of Collapsing?

Editor’s Note: This article discusses the issue of insufficient Blob space faced by Ethereum L2. As L2 chains grow, multiple L2s compete for limited Blob storage, leading to soaring fees and increased user costs. Even with the Pectra upgrade increasing the number of Blobs to six, the issue can only be temporarily alleviated, not fundamentally solved. The solutions include short-term Pectra upgrades, medium-term PeerDAS implementation, and long-term DA scaling, but it remains uncertain whether these solutions can be delivered in time.

Below is the original content (reorganized for better readability and understanding):

Ethereum L2 is about to face a bottleneck. Currently, 55% of all Blob space has already been consumed by just two chains. At the current growth rate, we are only a few months away from a complete collapse.

Here’s what’s happening

First, let’s understand what’s collapsing: Blobs = Special storage for L2 Current Limit = 3 Blobs per block Reality = Dozens of L2s competing for these 3 slots. It’s like a highway with only 3 lanes, while 50 rapidly growing cities compete for these lanes.

Daily data clearly highlights a problem: Blob fee spikes:

• During transaction times

• During airdrops

• When new L2s initiate operations

Each peak = Higher user costs

Even the Pectra upgrade (which increases the Blob count to 6) won’t save us. At the current growth rate, we’ll reach maximum capacity by May 2025. And that’s assuming growth remains steady. (Narrator: Growth won’t stay steady—it’s accelerating.)

The Real Challenge

Content: L2s competing for limited Blob space

Method: Increased demand → Rising base fees

Reason: Every transaction requires Blob space

No L2 optimization can solve this fundamental bottleneck.

Core developers know this is the key issue. Vitalik Buterin said increasing the number of Blobs from 3 to 6 is more important than all other Pectra upgrades combined. But doubling the capacity will only extend our time by a few months, not years.

Solutions Under Research

Short-term: Double Blob space (Pectra)

Medium-term: PeerDAS implementation

Long-term: Advanced DA scaling

But will they arrive before we hit the bottleneck? This issue is affecting everyone:

• DEX trading costs are rising

• Perpetual protocols face soaring base fees

• Users are paying more in basic transaction fees

At polynomialFi, our base fees have increased by 300% in recent months.

A Ray of Hope?

The crisis has emerged because people are finally starting to use Ethereum L2. But if we don’t solve this quickly, users may turn elsewhere.

Summary

• Blob space is approaching its limit

• The next crisis will arrive within 6 months

• Scaling solutions are urgently needed

• Every L2 user is affected

If you want Ethereum to scale, this is the battle to focus on.

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