Limit to better protect. Vitalik Buterin, the brain behind Ethereum, wants to impose a gas cap per transaction. A decision that surprises in an ecosystem used to constant expansion. But behind this technical constraint lies a clear intention: to make Ethereum more stable, safer, and finally ready for the future.

A barrier against chaos: EIP-7983 takes the stage

In detail, the EIP-7983 proposal aims to cap each transaction at 16.77 million gas units, which is 2^24. Why this precise number? Because it is large enough to cover the current needs of complex contracts and DeFi applications, without opening the door to abuse.

Today, a single transaction can consume the entire capacity of a block. This is a critical bottleneck, a flaw that some could exploit via DoS (denial of service) attacks. The network then becomes unstable, unpredictable. With this limit, Vitalik proposes a healthier distribution of resources, where no transaction can take the system hostage.

This is not a simple patch. It is a change in logic: each transaction will now have to comply with stricter rules, which will allow Ethereum and its crypto to evolve on firmer foundations.

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Technical optimization and zkVM compatibility: a dual goal for Ethereum

Beyond security, this cap also paves the way for better compatibility with zkVMs (zero-knowledge Virtual Machines). These tools, at the heart of current cryptographic innovations, require lighter and segmented transaction structures. By imposing a maximum size, Ethereum encourages breaking down overly large operations, thus facilitating their processing by cryptographic proof machines.

Concretely, a crypto transaction exceeding the limit will simply be rejected. It won’t be validated or included in a block. Yet, the overall block limit itself remains intact. This is not a constraint for miners or validators, but a safeguard at the level of each operation.

Vitalik and Toni Wahrstätter, co-author of the proposal, specify that this new rule should not disrupt users: the majority of current transactions consume far less gas. In short, the change is radical protocol-wise, but gentle in its effects on developers.

It is no coincidence that this initiative arrives now. In recent months, Vitalik Buterin has been signaling support for a streamlined Ethereum. He wants to simplify the protocol, make it more accessible, more predictable, and above all less vulnerable. This gas cap fits into this overall strategy: controlling complexity to better face a future where some expect to see ETH crypto exceeding 700k.