The Ethereum network deployed a Blob Parameters Only (BPO) fork on January 8, 2026, raising the blob target per block from 10 to 14 and the maximum from 15 to 21. This incremental adjustment occurs within the Fusaka upgrade cycle and addresses data availability scaling without requiring a full network hard fork. The change directly benefits Layer 2 rollups by expanding onchain data capacity.
Blobs, introduced via EIP-4844 in the 2024 Dencun upgrade, provide designated data space for rollup transactions. The recent BPO fork implements a minimal configuration change, allowing independent adjustments to blob parameters. Early adoption indicates a 133% increase in available blobspace, facilitating up to 24 blobs per block in future roadmap phases.
Peer-Directed Availability Sampling (PeerDAS) underpins the upgrade, enabling nodes to sample blob data rather than store complete datasets. This sampling model reduces storage requirements and bandwidth usage by up to 85%, lowering infrastructure costs for validators. Node operators reported average bandwidth savings of 60 Mbps per node, enhancing decentralization by maintaining consumer-grade hardware compatibility.
Transaction fee dynamics shifted as blob fee base parameters were adjusted. An updated reserve price mechanism, introduced via EIP-7918, ties blob fees to execution gas demand, creating a floor that prevents fee collapse. Historical data from June to October 2025 showed blob fees collapsing to 1 wei on low-usage days; the new formula maintains a minimum price of execution_base_fee/16.
Layer 2 applications, including Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base, will benefit from reduced data costs, with projected fee drops of 40–60% within the first month. Increased blob capacity supports anticipated growth in rollup adoption, targeting transaction throughput above 100 TPS on mainnet and tens of thousands of TPS across L2 networks. The upgrade aligns with Ethereum’s roadmap toward 100 000 TPS via scaling solutions.
Validator revenue projections anticipate higher blob fee yields. Fidelity Digital Assets estimated an annualized increase of 25% in blob fee revenue under the adjusted pricing mechanism. Additional validator rewards are expected as onchain activity grows, creating a deflationary pressure on ETH due to higher base fee burns under EIP-1559.
Upcoming BPO forks scheduled for late January and subsequent months will continue raising blob targets. Community discussions propose further BPO adjustments to reach a long-term maximum of 128 blobs per block. The phased approach allows stress testing of parameters without risking network stability.
Monitoring tools across the ecosystem will track blob utilization rates and validator metrics. Channels focusing on Ethereum infrastructure will release dashboards reflecting real-time blob consumption. Developers anticipate data from initial days to inform future EIP proposals, optimizing the balance between data availability scaling and core network decentralization.
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