Introduction
Scalability has long been a critical challenge for Ethereum. To truly become the "world computer," Ethereum must simultaneously achieve scalability, security, and decentralization—a feat known as the "blockchain trilemma." This industry-wide conundrum remained unsolved until late 2021, when Ethereum researcher Dankrad Feist proposed Danksharding, a groundbreaking sharding solution that could redefine the rules of the game.
This report demystifies Danksharding and its precursor, EIP-4844 (Proto-Danksharding), in plain language. Designed for Web3 beginners, it breaks down complex technical concepts into digestible insights.
Why Does Ethereum Need Scaling?
The Scalability Challenge
As Ethereum’s ecosystem grows, network congestion surges. High demand slows transaction processing and inflates gas fees—exemplified by the 2017 CryptoKitties craze, where interactions cost hundreds of dollars. Ethereum’s current throughput (~45 TPS) pales compared to centralized systems like Visa (thousands of TPS).
Key Ethereum Mechanics:
- Gas Limits: Each block caps at 30M gas (~60–70KB data).
- Dynamic Fees: Base fees adjust ±12.5% per block based on congestion.
- Variable TPS: Ranges from 13–30 TPS (peaking at 45 TPS).
The Blockchain Trilemma
A public blockchain cannot simultaneously optimize:
- Decentralization: Distributed node participation.
- Security: High attack resistance.
- Scalability: High transaction throughput.
Ethereum prioritizes decentralization and security, making scalability the bottleneck.
Current Scaling Solutions
Layer 2 (Rollups):
- Optimistic Rollups: Assumes transaction validity; uses a 7-day challenge period.
- ZK-Rollups: Validates via zero-knowledge proofs; faster but harder to develop.
- Sharding: Splits the blockchain into parallel chains (the focus of this report).
Danksharding: The Evolution of Ethereum Sharding
From Sharding 1.0 to Danksharding
Sharding 1.0 proposed 64 parallel chains but faced issues:
- Technical complexity and data synchronization hurdles.
- MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) exploitation, where miners reorder transactions for profit (e.g., sandwich attacks).
Danksharding reimagines scaling around Rollup-centric design and mitigates MEV risks.
Proto-Danksharding (EIP-4844): The First Step
Introduces Blob Transactions:
- 128KB per blob (max 2 blobs/tx).
- 1–2MB per block (target: 8 blobs; max: 16 blobs).
- Temporary storage (~30 days) to reduce node burden.
Impact:
- Rollups use blobs for cheaper, higher-throughput data posting.
- Frees ~85KB block space for regular users.
Full Danksharding: The Complete Vision
Expands blobs to 16–32MB/block using:
Data Availability Sampling (DAS): Nodes randomly sample data fragments instead of downloading full blobs.
- Erasure Coding: Recovers full data from 50% of fragments.
- KZG Commitments: Cryptographically proves fragment authenticity.
Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS):
- Builders (high-performance nodes): Create and encode blocks.
- Proposers (light nodes): Validate headers.
- crList: Prevents transaction censorship/MEV exploitation.
Two-Slot PBS:
- Builders bid for block creation.
- Proposers select winning bids, distributing MEV profits democratically.
Conclusion
Danksharding’s layered approach—EIP-4844 → DAS → PBS—balances scalability with decentralization and security:
- Rollups gain 10x+ throughput via blobs.
- MEV risks are curtailed through crList and competitive bidding.
- Node requirements stay low, preserving decentralization.
👉 Explore Ethereum’s roadmap for deeper insights into Danksharding’s rollout.
The future? Danksharding could catalyze a new era of "modular blockchains" and elevate Ethereum’s narrative as the backbone of Web3.
FAQ
1. How does Danksharding differ from traditional sharding?
Danksharding replaces parallel chains with blob-carrying transactions optimized for Rollups, reducing complexity and MEV risks.
2. Will blob data be permanently stored?
No. Blobs are temporary (~30 days). Services like Layer 2s or decentralized storage protocols archive historical data.
3. How does PBS prevent MEV abuse?
crList mandates builders include all pending transactions, while competitive bidding redistributes MEV profits to proposers.
👉 Learn more about Ethereum’s upgrades and their implications.
References
- Data Availability Sampling – Ethereum Research.
- Vitalik Buterin’s Proto-Danksharding FAQ.
- Web3Caff Research on MEV and PBS.
Disclaimer: This report is for educational purposes only and not investment advice.