How The Surge update will change Ethereum: The path to 100,000 TPS

Ethereum is preparing for one of the most significant transformations. The upcoming major upgrade, The Surge, aims to radically increase network throughput—from the current 15–30 transactions per second to over 100,000. This is not just a technical improvement but a qualitative leap for the entire ecosystem. Let’s explore how the eth upgrade will change the way millions of users interact with Ethereum.

Why does Ethereum need The Surge?

Currently, the Ethereum network processes about 15–30 transactions per second at Layer 1. During peak activity, this leads to congestion, gas fees increase by tens of times, and users are forced to wait. Even simple token transfers can become costly.

The Surge addresses this problem comprehensively—not by tightening restrictions but through a smart scaling architecture. Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin described this as a roadmap of transformation where decentralization and security remain inseparable from scalability.

How does the eth upgrade work: The three pillars of The Surge

Layer 2 solutions: Rollups as the backbone of scaling

Rollups are systems that process transactions off the main blockchain and then send summaries back. There are two types:

Optimistic rollups assume correctness by default, verifying only in case of disputes. This provides maximum speed—solutions like Optimism already allow ETH transfers at $0.24–$0.78.

ZK-rollups use mathematical proofs for instant verification without trust. Projects like zkSync guarantee security at L1 level while maintaining high speed.

According to L2Beat, the locked value on Layer 2 solutions has exceeded $38 billion, growing by 216% in a year. This shows that users are already migrating en masse to these networks in search of lower fees.

Data Availability Sampling: A revolution in data processing

The scalability problem is not only about speed but also data size. Each node must verify data, but loading the entire dataset on all nodes is inefficient.

DAS (Data Availability Sampling) changes this approach. Nodes now verify only random samples of data rather than everything. This is possible thanks to cryptographic guarantees—if data is available, then a small sample is enough to confirm it.

Two main development paths:

PeerDAS— distributes the load among nodes via a peer-to-peer network. Each node verifies a separate part, collectively forming a full verification.

2D DAS— further develops this by verifying not only individual data but also their interconnections, increasing security without increasing load.

Improvements to Ethereum itself (Layer 1)

While rollups handle most of the load, the base layer also needs optimization:

• EOF (Ethereum Object Format) will improve smart contract execution, reducing gas costs
• Multidimensional gas pricing will separate fees for computation, data, and storage, ensuring fairer pricing
• Native rollups will be integrated directly into the protocol as parallel lanes for flow management

Timeline for implementing The Surge: What to expect

Q1 2024 — Dencun and Proto-Danksharding
The launch of EIP-4844 (blob data) accelerated L2 networks immediately. Users experienced a 90% reduction in fees compared to previous years.

2024–2025 — Expansion and improvements
Rollups will introduce new cryptographic proofs (SNARKs) to enhance trustlessness. PeerDAS and 2D DAS will expand to support exponential growth in throughput.

End of 2025 — Base layer optimization
EOF and native rollups will go live on mainnet, creating a new Ethereum architecture.

2026+ — Full Danksharding
Transition from Proto-Danksharding to full sharding will split Ethereum into shards, significantly multiplying its capacity. This stage will deliver the same 100,000+ TPS Vitalik talked about.

Direct impact on your experience

Fees will drop to micro-pennies

Current L2 solutions already allow transferring ETH for cents. After The Surge, these fees will become even smaller, making microtransactions economically viable. DeFi platforms, gaming, and NFT marketplaces will shift to cheap or free operations.

Apps will become faster and more complex

Developers will be able to build applications without throughput limitations. Complex simulations designed for millions of concurrent users will become possible. User experience quality will skyrocket.

Cross-chain interactions will become seamless

Today, transferring assets from L2 back to L1 or between solutions is cumbersome. The Surge will make this as simple as sending tokens between wallets. Users won’t even realize they are moving between layers.

Technical risks to understand

Scaling increases the attack surface. Rollups depend on cryptographic proofs that must remain secure. Quantum computers in the future could threaten current encryption schemes—Ethereum is already developing post-quantum cryptography.

Additionally, the transition period may bring issues—temporary outages, fee fluctuations, interface adjustments. But this is a natural part of evolution.

What comes after The Surge?

The Surge is just one phase of a long-term roadmap. Next are:

• The Splurge— optimizing transaction formats and costs
• The Verge— trustless clients to simplify node operation
• The Purge— removing old data to accelerate the network

All these steps aim at one goal: creating a blockchain capable of handling billions of transactions without losing decentralization.

Conclusion: A new Ethereum awaits us

The Surge marks a turning point. Ethereum will cease to be just an expensive network for large operations—it will become infrastructure for global finance, gaming, and social networks.

The eth upgrade is not just a technical enhancement; it’s a leap to a qualitatively new level. Thousands of developers are already preparing, users are waiting, and the network is being built step by step. The most exciting part of Ethereum is still ahead.