Ethereum is preparing for a major revamp of its gas system, which plays a crucial role in computing transaction costs. Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has proposed a bold plan to introduce a multidimensional gas framework that aims to address the limitations of the current system.
Currently, Ethereum uses a unified gas system that quantifies various computational efforts, such as processing, storage operations, data transmission, and cryptographic proofs, under a single metric called “gas.” While this system simplifies market operations and fee calculations, it treats different types of resources as if they were interchangeable, leading to inefficiencies.
To address this issue, Vitalik suggests moving to a multidimensional gas model that better represents the true limits and capabilities of the network. This could potentially boost throughput by avoiding the oversimplification of resource interchangeability. The concept of multidimensional gas is not entirely new, as it has already been implemented with EIP-4844, which introduced “blobs” for rollup data to lower transaction costs on layer 2 solutions.
Vitalik acknowledges the challenges posed by large block sizes and their impact on Ethereum’s scalability. By setting distinct limits and costs for different types of data, the introduction of blobs has made operations like rollups cheaper and significantly increased transaction volumes.
Looking ahead, Vitalik sees integrating stateless clients as the next big challenge for Ethereum. This approach requires processing transactions without storing every piece of state data on every node. A refined gas model that prices different types of data and operations according to their actual demands on the system would greatly benefit this approach.
The real potential of a multidimensional gas system lies in its flexibility to manage different network resources independently. For example, the pricing model could manage state growth separately from transaction processing or data storage, allowing the network to adapt more dynamically to changing demands.
Although there are complexities involved, especially in transaction execution and sub-calls within the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), Vitalik believes that the benefits of a multidimensional gas system, particularly in terms of scalability and efficiency, justify the effort. With careful implementation, Ethereum could become more robust and flexible, better equipped to meet the demands of its diverse user base.
