Advanced Blockchain Concept: The Future of Fees on the Ethereum Network

By: Eva Baxter

Ethereum's Improvement Proposal: EIP-1559

The Ethereum network has recently implemented a major upgrade known as the EIP-1559. This proposal fundamentally revises the existing fee structure for transactions on the network to achieve fairer and more predictable fees. The new proposal promises to solve the issue of overpayment for transactions and prevent miners from manipulating block inclusion for financial gain.

Gas fees and EIP-1559

In the Ethereum network, every instruction or operation that a transaction or a program executes costs a certain amount of 'gas'. Prior to EIP-1559, users would send transactions with a gasLimit and gasPrice, which are the maximum amount of gas that can be used and the price the sender is willing to pay per unit gas. With EIP-1559 however, there are two parts to every transaction fee – a base fee and a tip.

The Future of Ethereum Fees

The adoption of EIP-1559 presents a significant step towards a fairer and more predictable fee market, but it is not without its issues. As Ethereum transitions to the Proof of Stake model, the adopting of EIP-1559 will likely intersect with other upgrades and changes to the Ethereum network. The journey ahead is one of excitement and uncertainty, but also a tremendous opportunity for Ethereum and its community.