Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade Analysis: VanEck Reveals How It Will Transform ETH and Lower L2 Costs

Ethereum's upcoming Fusaka network upgrade, scheduled for December deployment, could fundamentally transform blockchain user experience through reduced costs and enhanced efficiency, according to asset management firm VanEck. In their September cryptocurrency market report, VanEck's research team emphasized that Fusaka specifically targets Ethereum's critical challenge: data availability for rollups—the scaling solutions that aggregate multiple transactions before finalizing them on Ethereum's mainnet. The upgrade's core innovation involves Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS), a technical approach enabling Ethereum validators to verify blocks by sampling smaller data segments rather than downloading complete transaction datasets. VanEck clarified this methodology reduces bandwidth and storage requirements, permitting safe expansion of Ethereum's "blob" capacity—the dedicated data slots utilized by rollups—without network strain. This enhancement proves crucial as Ethereum developers already doubled blob limits earlier this year amid continuously growing demand. VanEck noted that Coinbase's Base and Worldcoin's World Chain currently constitute approximately 60% of all submitted rollup data, demonstrating layer-2 solutions' central role in network expansion. Through further capacity increases, Fusaka should reduce operational costs for rollups, ultimately resulting in more affordable transactions for end users. Regarding ETH implications, VanEck contends the upgrade highlights Ethereum's transition away from base layer fee dependency. While mainnet fee revenue has declined with increased rollup activity, the firm maintains this doesn't diminish ETH's significance. Instead, Ethereum's security function in settling rollup transactions becomes more pronounced, reinforcing ETH's status as a monetary asset beyond mere fee generation. VanEck analysts additionally cautioned that unstaked ETH holders face potential dilution risks as institutional entities—including exchange-traded products and crypto treasury firms—continue accumulating ETH positions for staking yields. Within this context, they believe Fusaka strengthens Ethereum's appeal by reducing L2 expenses and consolidating its central position within a scaling ecosystem expected to attract greater institutional adoption. Despite remaining technical challenges, VanEck concluded that Fusaka represents a pivotal advancement in Ethereum's rollup-centric development roadmap, carrying substantial implications for both network users and long-term ETH holders.