EIP-4844 Introduces Blobs to Slash Ethereum Transaction Costs and Free Blockspace

April 28, 2025
EIP-4844 Introduces Blobs to Slash Ethereum Transaction Costs and Free Blockspace
  • EIP-4844 introduces a new method for reducing Ethereum's transaction costs by utilizing blobs, which provide a temporary and cheaper way to store rollup data compared to traditional calldata.

  • By minimizing the use of Ethereum's block space and only posting essential data, rollup transactions become significantly cheaper as they are executed and stored off-chain.

  • These blobs are attached to transactions but are not permanently stored on the Ethereum blockchain, which helps in reducing long-term storage costs and freeing up valuable blockspace.

  • The primary goal of rollup chains is to reduce congestion on Ethereum, lower gas fees, and maintain security and decentralization by relying on Ethereum for finality.

  • When a rollup chain submits transactions, it sends a blob-carrying transaction that includes a proof and the blob to Ethereum, allowing validators to verify the transaction without needing to re-execute all the operations.

  • Each blob can be as large as 1 MB, and an Ethereum block can accommodate approximately 64 blobs, depending on the overall size and gas limits.

  • Once the blob data expires, it is no longer accessible on Ethereum; however, its validity can still be confirmed through the associated proof and hash reference.

  • Validators can distinguish between regular transactions and blob transactions based on their structure, with blob transactions incorporating proof and temporary data.

  • Rollups like Arbitrum and Optimism serve as Layer 2 solutions that process transactions off the main Ethereum chain, enhancing speed and reducing costs.

  • After a designated period, the blob data is discarded, but a hash reference remains in the Ethereum block to facilitate transaction verification.

  • Traditional Ethereum transactions continue to use established methods that require permanent storage for use cases needing immutable records, while blob transactions focus on scalable, temporary solutions.

  • Prior to the implementation of EIP-4844, rollups stored their transaction data permanently on-chain, which led to increased costs and limited scalability.

Summary based on 1 source


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