Ethereum's next major upgrade, Fusaka, has successfully deployed on the final testnet, Hoodi, and is scheduled for mainnet activation on December 3, 2025. This hard fork introduces several Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) aimed at enhancing scalability, security, and efficiency, with a focus on layer-2 networks.
Key EIPs include EIP-7594 for Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS), which allows validators to sample smaller data pieces instead of full blobs, boosting node efficiency and reducing costs. Additionally, EIP-7825 and EIP-7935 are incorporated to raise the gas limit and improve overall network performance as Ethereum prepares for parallel execution of smart contracts. Developers, including Nethermind, described the testnet deployment as "another smooth upgrade, another key milestone on the road to Fusaka."
The upgrade is expected to dramatically increase blob storage capacity on transaction blocks by over 400%, significantly lowering layer-2 gas fees. Ethereum core developer Marius van der Wijden highlighted that PeerDAS could be "the key to layer-2 scaling," a sentiment echoed by co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who noted its role in enabling nodes to avoid downloading full data. Fusaka's execution will occur in three stages: mainnet launch, activation of blob capacity increases, and a second hard fork for further enhancements.
This update follows the Pectra upgrade from six months ago and is part of Ethereum's "Surge" phase, targeting scalability improvements amid competition from rivals like Solana and Sui. Despite recent price volatility, with ETH trading around $3,947 after a 5% daily drop, the upgrade has generated optimism for long-term network growth.
