New EIP-8142 Standard to Replace Ethereum Blocks with Blobs for Scalability

Ethereum researchers are exploring a proposal to shift transaction data into BLOB objects published alongside blocks. This initiative aims to reduce bandwidth requirements and enhance blockchain scalability.

In the article "Blocks are Dead. Long Live Blobs," Tony Varshteyter and other developers outlined a draft standard EIP-8142, also known as Block-in-Blobs. The concept suggests encoding transaction data directly into "blobs," relieving validators from the need to download and re-execute the entire payload.

According to the authors, this approach addresses architectural bottlenecks. Increasing block sizes along with higher gas limits forces validators to handle a growing volume of data, which overloads the network and hinders its development.

“Blobs” are set to debut in March 2024 with the activation of the Dencun hard fork as part of the data availability roadmap. Implemented through EIP-4844 (proto-danksharding), they are designed for efficient transmission of large data sets, contrasting with standard transaction calls (calldata).

Unlike on-chain storage of all details, BLOB objects allow for cryptographic fixing and verification of data without full replication across the network.

Block-in-Blobs

EIP-8142 builds on the concept established in Dencun. The proposal moves the primary payload, already encoded in the RLP standard, directly into "blobs," abandoning their use solely as a supplementary data layer.

Validators will verify the cryptographic confirmations of BLOB objects and will eventually transition to a data availability sampling (DAS) mechanism. This will enable them to verify small fragments to confirm the existence of the entire data set without downloading it in full.

This change is expected to be particularly relevant in the future when transaction verification will be handled by zkEVM systems. Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) can confirm the correctness of transaction processing, eliminating the need for re-execution.

However, ZKPs alone do not guarantee actual data availability. Varshteyter explained that zkEVM verifies proofs, not transactions directly. Without a separate control mechanism, information could be obscured even after successful consensus. The Block-in-Blobs proposal aims to address this vulnerability.

The update will also impact the fee system. Currently, Ethereum separates gas for executing operations and gas for using blobs. In the new model, these could be combined into a single "data gas." Developers believe this will equalize costs for various forms of data availability and prevent overlapping limits.

ERC-8211 from Biconomy

Simultaneously, efforts are underway to improve transaction structures. The Biconomy project, in collaboration with the UX division of the Ethereum Foundation, has proposed the ERC-8211 standard, which transforms transactions into programmable workflows.

Instead of fixing parameters at the moment of signing, ERC-8211 allows operations to fetch on-chain data in real-time, check specified conditions, and sequentially execute multiple steps with a single signature.

The main goal is to reduce the number of failed transactions and facilitate more complex agent interactions in DeFi protocols.

Both initiatives are part of extensive research within the Ethereum ecosystem. Developers have already outlined paths for network upgrades through the end of the current decade.

Additionally, Gnosis and Zisk, with support from the Ethereum Foundation, developed a framework to unify the fragmented ecosystem of second layer networks.