Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has finalized a new Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP-7983), which significantly lowers the transaction gas limit on the Ethereum network. The update, now finalized after being introduced in late June 2025, aims to cap individual Ethereum transaction gas usage at 16.77 million, a figure that translates to 2²⁴. This reduction from the previously proposed 30 million gas limit has triggered broad discussion across the Ethereum developer community, with the core rationale rooted in network stability, protection against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and predictable transaction costs.
Vitalik Buterin and Ethereum researcher Toni Wahrstätter co-authored the proposal, which has now been shared publicly via GitHub. The EIP proposes strict enforcement of this new gas ceiling, meaning any transaction that exceeds the 16.77 million gas threshold will be automatically rejected, regardless of the block gas limit set by validators. This move represents a critical update to Ethereum’s transaction mechanics and is designed to safeguard against potentially disruptive transactions that monopolize entire blocks.
One of the primary motivations behind EIP-7983 is defense against denial-of-service attacks. Ethereum’s design allows for a single transaction, such as a smart contract interaction, to theoretically consume the entire block gas limit. This risk becomes especially problematic when such transactions are used maliciously to crowd out legitimate ones or delay processing. By capping the maximum gas a single transaction can consume, Ethereum can better protect itself from spam attacks and network congestion.
Moreover, the proposed cap is expected to enhance compatibility with zero-knowledge virtual machines (zkVMs). According to Buterin and Wahrstätter, splitting larger transactions into smaller gas fragments aligns better with the execution models of zkVMs. This fragmentation allows for faster generation and verification of zero-knowledge proofs and ensures that more nodes or users can help with the validation process. By improving zkVM design, EIP-7983 could also bolster Ethereum’s long-term scalability and execution parallelism.
Importantly, the gas cap also introduces a more equitable distribution of block space. Currently, one transaction can, in rare cases, dominate the entire block gas budget, leading to inefficiencies and longer wait times for other users. With the new limit, multiple transactions will be able to coexist within the same block more fairly, making Ethereum’s usage smoother and more inclusive.
The 16.77 million gas figure wasn’t randomly chosen. In their proposal, Buterin and Wahrstätter explain that 2²⁴ strikes the right balance between enabling complex operations—such as DeFi trades and smart contract deployments—and preserving stable and predictable transaction execution. Notably, this figure is lower than the 30 million gas limit proposed in EIP-7825, an earlier draft from November 2024. That proposal, although widely supported, received feedback urging for a tighter cap. EIP-7983 incorporates that feedback, offering a more refined approach to gas management.
A unique aspect of the implementation is that the cap will be enforced across all levels—from the transaction pool (txpool) to block validation. The txpool, which acts as Ethereum’s transaction waiting room, will automatically filter out any transaction that exceeds the new cap. Similarly, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) will reject any block containing an oversized transaction during the block validation process.
The economic implications of this change are relatively minimal in the short term. Based on the current average gas price of 0.266 gwei and an ETH price of around $2,550, a transaction that fully utilizes the 16.77 million gas cap would cost roughly $11.38. While this cost may fluctuate with market dynamics, the stability in gas usage could actually improve fee estimation for users and developers in the long run.
Vitalik Buterin’s move toward a capped transaction gas limit signals a broader push toward efficiency, security, and predictability in Ethereum’s evolution. As Ethereum continues to evolve with upgrades like Proto-Danksharding and broader L2 adoption, foundational changes like EIP-7983 show that the core team remains committed to ensuring the protocol is both resilient and scalable.
In summary, EIP-7983 introduces a mandatory 16.77 million gas limit per transaction across Ethereum, helping to deter DoS threats, facilitate zkVM improvements, and ensure smoother network performance. With this cap now finalized, Ethereum continues its transition into a more mature and robust blockchain ecosystem.
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