The Ethereum Foundation (EF) held an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit on February 25, 2025, featuring prominent researchers such as Vitalik Buterin, Justin Drake, and Dankrad Feist. The session covered critical topics, including Ethereum scaling, Layer 1 revenue, and network security, while also providing insights into the forthcoming Pectra upgrade.
Pectra Upgrade and Network Enhancements
One of the primary focuses of the discussion was the upcoming Pectra upgrade, which is set to be the most significant technological advancement since the Dencun fork and Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake. According to EF researcher Justin Drake, the first phase of Pectra is expected to roll out in the coming months.
To ensure the robustness of the upgrade, EF has launched a $2 million bug bounty program, which will run until March 24, encouraging developers to stress-test the system before implementation.
Buterin on Economic Strategy and L2 Solutions
With the increasing adoption of Layer 2 solutions, EF researchers underscored the importance of maintaining Ethereum’s base layer. Buterin defended Ethereum’s economic approach, reaffirming the need for the network to capture a share of revenue from L2s and native roll-ups.
He also addressed concerns regarding staking providers, wallets, and custody services, highlighting the necessity of interoperability standards to prevent centralization risks. Responding to worries about Ethereum’s governance being influenced by corporate entities, Buterin stated,
“The goal is neutrality of Ethereum, not neutrality of the Ethereum Foundation—often, the two align, but sometimes they misalign, and when that happens, we should go for the former.”
Debates on Blob Transactions and Fees
A key feature of this upgrade is the increase in “blob” transactions per block from three to six. Drake stated that this change will “crush the blob fee market,” potentially reducing transaction costs for Layer 2 solutions. Blobs, initially introduced in the Dencun upgrade, allow temporary storage of transaction data, optimizing data roll-up processes to the Ethereum mainchain.
The AMA also explored discussions on Ethereum’s long-term economic sustainability, particularly the debate over increasing the blob base fee. Some community members have advocated for raising this fee, but EF researchers largely dismissed the proposal.
Researcher Barnabé Monnot argued that such measures would be short-sighted, stating,
“I find these arguments very short-sighted, first because they require the network to have an opinion regarding what is the right level of this tax (i.e., something like a fiscal policy), and second because I believe more value will accrue the more we grow the Ethereum economy.”
Data Scaling Concerns
Addressing data scaling concerns, researchers Justin Drake and Dankrad Feist dismissed claims that EigenLayer’s alternative data availability (altDA) solution would threaten Ethereum’s revenue model. Instead, they suggested that multiple approaches to data availability—including blobs and EigenDA—could coexist within the ecosystem. Drake even speculated that Ethereum could reach a transaction throughput of 10 million transactions per second within the next decade, potentially generating $1 billion in daily revenue.
Impact on Market and Future Developments
The AMA also touched upon Ethereum’s broader scaling strategy, particularly in relation to major Layer 2 networks such as Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, and Scroll. EF researcher Ansgar Dietrichs noted that the competitive roll-up landscape had driven significant innovations, particularly in zero-knowledge proofs and interoperability.
Following the AMA, Ethereum (ETH) saw immediate market activity, with a 2.5% price increase from $3,200 to $3,280 within the first 30 minutes, according to CoinMarketCap. Trading volume for ETH/USD on Binance also surged from 15,000 ETH to 25,000 ETH during this period.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
