Ethereum has long been at the forefront of blockchain innovation, but its journey toward scalability has always faced a critical bottleneck: network congestion and high transaction fees. As Layer 2 (L2) rollups like Optimistic Rollups and ZK-Rollups gain traction, the need for efficient data availability becomes paramount. Enter EIP-4844, also known as proto-danksharding—a pivotal upgrade designed to dramatically reduce costs for rollups and pave the way for full sharding.
This article dives deep into what EIP-4844 is, how it works, and why it matters—not just for Ethereum’s future, but for the entire ecosystem of decentralized applications and scaling solutions.
What Is EIP-4844?
EIP-4844, or proto-danksharding, is a transitional step toward danksharding, Ethereum’s ambitious long-term scaling roadmap. While full danksharding is still years away, EIP-4844 introduces key components needed to make it possible—most notably, blob-carrying transactions.
These blobs are large chunks of data (up to 128 KB each) that can be attached to transactions. Unlike regular Ethereum transactions, which are fully processed by the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine), blob data is not executed on-chain. Instead, it's only required to be available—meaning validators must confirm it exists and can be downloaded, but they don’t need to process its contents.
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This subtle distinction is revolutionary. By offloading data availability without burdening execution, Ethereum enables L2 rollups to post massive volumes of transaction data at a fraction of the current cost.
Why Blob Transactions Matter
Today, rollups publish their transaction data directly onto Ethereum’s main chain using calldata, which is extremely expensive in terms of gas. With EIP-4844, rollups can instead use blob-carrying transactions, which have a separate pricing mechanism and significantly lower overhead.
Each block can include up to six blobs, with a total data cap of 1 MB per slot (every 12 seconds). Though this may seem small, it’s a massive improvement over existing constraints. And because blob data expires after approximately 18 days, it avoids bloating the blockchain permanently.
The result? A projected hundreds-to-thousands-fold reduction in gas fees for ZK-Rollups and Optimistic Rollups—making Ethereum more accessible than ever before.
How EIP-4844 Reduces Costs for Rollups
Let’s break down the economics:
- Current Model: Rollups pay full gas fees to store transaction data via calldata.
- Post-EIP-4844 Model: Rollups attach data via cheap blobs, paying only for temporary data availability.
This shift decouples data availability from execution—a foundational principle of danksharding. Since the EVM doesn’t process blob content, the network saves computational resources while still ensuring security through cryptographic commitments (KZG commitments).
For users, this means cheaper DeFi trades, NFT mints, and cross-chain interactions. For developers, it unlocks new possibilities for high-throughput dApps without sacrificing decentralization.
The Road to Danksharding
EIP-4844 isn't the final destination—it’s a critical stepping stone toward full danksharding. The term “danksharding” honors Dankrad Feist, one of its primary architects, and represents a radical redesign of Ethereum’s data layer.
While proto-danksharding introduces blob transactions and basic infrastructure, full danksharding will implement:
- 2D Data Sampling: Allowing validators to verify large datasets efficiently by sampling small portions.
- Distributed Validator Responsibilities: Each validator checks only part of the data, reducing hardware requirements.
- Permanent Data Availability Layer: A scalable system capable of handling up to 16 MB of data per slot.
Until then, EIP-4844 lays the groundwork by testing core mechanisms like:
✅ New transaction type (future-compatible)
✅ Execution layer logic
✅ Cross-validation between consensus and execution layers
✅ Separation of BeaconBlock validation from blob availability sampling
✅ Independent blob gas pricing
These completed components ensure backward compatibility and smooth evolution toward full sharding.
Key Challenges and Pending Work
Despite progress, several technical hurdles remain before Ethereum can transition from proto-danksharding to full danksharding:
- Low-degree extension of
blob_kzgs: Required for efficient 2D sampling across shards. - Implementation of Data Availability Sampling (DAS): Enables lightweight nodes to verify data without downloading everything.
- Proposer/Builder Separation (PBS): Prevents individual validators from needing to handle up to 32 MB of data per slot.
- In-protocol custody proofs: Ensures validators are accountable for verifying specific shard data segments.
PBS is particularly crucial. It splits block construction ("building") from block proposal ("proposing"), allowing specialized builders to create blocks while randomly selected proposers simply validate and submit them. This minimizes trust assumptions and maintains decentralization under high load.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the main goal of EIP-4844?
A: To reduce L2 rollup costs by introducing cheap, temporary data storage via blob-carrying transactions—paving the way for future sharding.
Q: How does EIP-4844 differ from full danksharding?
A: EIP-4844 implements only partial functionality (proto-danksharding), including blob transactions and limited data bandwidth. Full danksharding will scale this further with advanced sampling and distributed verification.
Q: Will EIP-4844 make Ethereum faster?
A: Not directly in terms of transactions per second (TPS), but it enables L2s to operate far more efficiently—indirectly increasing overall throughput.
Q: Are blob transactions permanent?
A: No. Blob data is pruned after approximately 18 days. Long-term storage remains the responsibility of L2 networks or external systems.
Q: Does EIP-4844 require changes to smart contracts?
A: Most end-user dApps won’t need changes. However, rollup operators must update their systems to support blob-carrying transactions.
Q: When will EIP-4844 be live?
A: As of 2025, EIP-4844 is targeted for activation in a major Ethereum upgrade, likely alongside other protocol enhancements.
Why This Upgrade Changes Everything
EIP-4844 represents more than just a technical tweak—it's a paradigm shift in how Ethereum handles scalability. By rethinking data availability as distinct from execution, Ethereum embraces a modular architecture where L2s thrive without overwhelming the base layer.
This upgrade empowers projects building on StarkNet, Arbitrum, Optimism, zkSync, and others to offer near-instant, ultra-low-cost transactions while remaining fully secured by Ethereum.
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Moreover, EIP-4844 sets a precedent for future upgrades—proving that complex changes can be rolled out incrementally without compromising security or decentralization.
Final Thoughts
EIP-4844 is not just another Ethereum improvement proposal—it's the foundation of Ethereum’s scalable future. As rollups become the primary interface for users and developers, reducing their dependency on expensive calldata becomes essential.
With proto-danksharding, Ethereum takes a bold leap forward. It reduces costs, increases efficiency, and prepares the network for an era of mass adoption. While challenges remain in achieving full danksharding, EIP-4844 proves that Ethereum’s evolution is both deliberate and unstoppable.
As the ecosystem grows, staying informed about upgrades like EIP-4844 ensures you’re ready for what’s next.
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EIP-4844, proto-danksharding, danksharding, Ethereum scalability, blob-carrying transactions, Layer 2 rollups, data availability, gas fee reduction