EIP-4844 and zkTube: A Symbiotic Relationship Bolstering Ethereum’s Scalability
Ethereum’s march towards scalability has been a persistent focus within the blockchain community. The introduction of Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 4844, also known as Shard Blob Transactions, marked a significant stride in this endeavor1. This EIP aims to scale the data availability of Ethereum in a forward-compatible manner1, introducing a new transaction format known as “blob-carrying transactions” that can house a large amount of data. This data cannot be accessed by Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) execution, but its commitment can be accessed1.
The motivation behind EIP-4844 is to further enhance the trustless scaling solution for Ethereum offered by rollups. Rollups, particularly Optimism and Arbitrum, have already played a substantial role in reducing Ethereum transaction fees. However, even their reduced fees can prove too expensive for many users. EIP-4844 provides a stop-gap solution until the full implementation and deployment of data sharding, a long-term solution to the inadequacy of rollups by themselves. Data sharding would add approximately 16 MB per block of dedicated data space to the chain that rollups could use. The transaction format proposed by EIP-4844 is part of the beacon chain and is fully downloaded by all consensus nodes, but can be deleted after only a short delay. This results in a target of ~0.375 MB per block and a limit of ~0.75 MB1.
EIP-4844 is expected to have a positive impact on Layer 2 rollups and off-chain transactions. By expanding data capacity, rollups can package more transactions off-chain, thereby reducing the data that needs to be stored on-chain and potentially lowering the gas fees associated with these transactions2.
Our ZK Rollup solutions of zero-knowledge proof building, has emerged as a technology that aligns with and supports EIP-4844’s vision. zkTube offers underlying protocol support services that can better facilitate the migration of applications and contracts on Layer 1. Its first ETH 2.0 smart wallet, PayTube, built on zkTube, provides the same security guarantees as the Ethereum mainnet while significantly boosting scalability. It achieves low transaction fees and offers a throughput of ETH and ERC20/ERC721 transactions up to 200 times the original Layer 1 transactions3.
zkTube has recognized the potential of EIP-4844 and expressed our support for the proposal. The protocol’s development team regards EIP-4844 as a central component of our technology. By increasing space for “blobs” of data, EIP-4844 is expected to reduce fees for Layer 2 rollups, aligning directly with zkTube’s mission.
EIP-4844 and zkTube form a symbiotic relationship in their shared goal to enhance Ethereum’s scalability. EIP-4844’s vision of increased data capacity and lowered transaction fees dovetails with zkTube’s objective of low transaction fees and enhanced throughput. The collaboration between these technologies can contribute significantly to the ongoing evolution of Ethereum and its capacity for scalable, cost-effective transactions.
