The Ethereum 
$1,744 network has successfully concluded the final testnet phase on the path to the Fusaka update. The Nethermind team announced that the Hoodi fork was activated successfully on the testnet on October 28, bringing developers a step closer to the mainnet launch scheduled for December 3. While the cryptocurrency market remains under the shadow of macroeconomic uncertainties, the price of ETH has decreased by over 2%, hovering around 4,000 USD.
Redefining Efficiency in Ethereum
Hoodi serves as the last test environment preceding the Fusaka update. Previous implementations on Sepolia and Holesky testnets in October were successfully completed. Holesky, after being activated on October 1, was closed as planned, while Sepolia completed its update on October 14.
Fusaka is a direct continuation of the Pectra update, which migrated to the mainnet in May. Pectra streamlined validator processes and implemented account abstraction via EIP-7702, increasing blob capacity per block and reducing Layer-2 costs. Consequently, data transfer within the blockchain accelerated, significantly improving scalability.
Entering a New Era with Verkle Trees and PeerDAS
The Fusaka update is designed to expand Ethereum’s data processing capacity. Developers plan to incrementally increase the number of blobs per block through two consecutive hard forks named Blob Parameter Only (BPO).
The first phase, expected to activate around December 17, will support up to 10 blobs per block. With the completion of the second phase on January 7, 2026, this number will increase to 14, more than doubling the network’s data capacity. The update will also optimize node access to Layer-2 data by implementing Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS) under EIP-7594.
Additionally, the Verkle Trees structure will provide more compact state proofs, enhancing network efficiency. The increase in block gas limits will boost transaction volume at the base layer.
This major technical upgrade underscores Ethereum’s commitment to improving its infrastructure, aiming for a more efficient, scalable, and powerful network that can support a wider range of applications and higher volumes of transactions.
