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ETH Ethereum's next upgrade breaks the "21,000 Gas" rule that wallets rely on
According to technical specifications released by core developers, Ethereum's expected Fusaka hard fork in 2026 will break the long-standing "21,000 Gas" rule. Wallets and decentralized applications (dapps) have relied on this rule to operate for years.
What is the "21,000 Gas" rule? Why is it important?
The "21,000 Gas" rule refers to the minimum Gas fee required for a standard Ethereum transaction (sending ETH from one address to another). Since the network's launch in 2015, this benchmark has been hard-coded into many wallets, exchanges and dapps to estimate fees and verify transactions. Upcoming upgrades (including Ethereum object formats EOF and PeerDAS) will change this base cost, forcing adaptation of these tools.
How did Fusaka change the Gas mechanism?
Fusaka introduced EOF (a new bytecode format that improves the efficiency of smart contracts) and PeerDAS (a data availability sampling scheme that enhances the scalability of Layer 2 networks). However, achieving EOF requires adjustments to the Gas mechanism, including underlying transaction costs. According to the latest Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) included in Fusaka, the intrinsic Gas for basic ETH transfers will increase from 21,000 to 26,000, breaking a long-standing constant.
Why increase?
The addition of Gas is designed to cope with the additional computing overhead when processing EOF format transactions and maintain network security. Core developers believe this change is necessary to support new features and prevent potential denial of service (DoS) attack vectors. However, this adjustment will have significant downstream impacts.
Impact on wallets, dapps and users
Currently, most wallets and dapps default to a fixed value of 21,000 Gas when transferring ETH, which is used to estimate fees and verify transaction success. With this change, these applications need to update their Gas estimation logic. Failure to update in a timely manner may underestimate fees, resulting in failed transactions or incorrect balance calculations. Exchanges and custody services that rely on this constant for internal accounting also need to be adjusted.
What do developers need to do?
Developers of wallets, blockchain browsers, and dapps should check hard-coded Gas values in their code and update them to reflect the new intrinsic Gas. At the same time, they should pay attention to the deployment of Fusaka test nets to ensure compatibility. For users, if their commonly used tools are updated slowly, they may encounter temporary inconvenience.
Timeline and next steps
The Fusaka upgrade is currently scheduled to take place at the end of 2026, following the Pectra upgrade. Specific EIPs are still under review and the final Gas parameters may change. Core developers encourage the community to test these changes on the Developer Network and Test Network in the coming months.
Conclusion
Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade marks a major technological evolution, but also brings disruptive changes to a fundamental constant that ecosystems take for granted. By understanding its impact and preparing in advance, developers and users can achieve a smooth transition when upgrading comes online.
FAQs
Q1: Will the change in the 21,000 Gas rule affect ordinary ETH transfers?
Yes. Under the Fusaka upgrade, the intrinsic Gas for basic ETH transfers will increase to 26,000. This means a slight increase in transaction Gas fees, but has minimal impact on most users.
Q2: What impact does this have on smart contract interactions?
The Gas cost of smart contract interaction is inherently higher than that of simple transfer. This change mainly affects base costs, so the impact on contract calls is less significant, but developers still need to update their Gas estimates.
Q3: When will the upgrade take effect?
The Fusaka upgrade is expected to take place at the end of 2026, but the exact date depends on the successful deployment of the testnet. Developers should pay attention to the Ethereum Foundation's announcement for a final timetable.
