Overview
Proto-Danksharding is a major Ethereum upgrade (implemented in the Dencun fork) designed to scale the network by making it much cheaper for Layer 2 rollups to store data on the mainnet. It is named after researchers Protolambda and Dankrad Feist.
Key Innovation: Blobs
Instead of storing Layer 2 data in expensive 'calldata,' Proto-Danksharding introduces Binary Large Objects (Blobs). Blobs are large packets of data that are attached to blocks but are not processed by the EVM and are deleted after about 18 days.
Benefits
- Lower Fees: Significantly reduces the cost of transactions on Layer 2 networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base.
- Scalability: Increases the data capacity of the Ethereum network without increasing the burden on full nodes.
Path to Sharding
It serves as a 'prototype' for full Danksharding, establishing the data formats and logic needed for the final scaling vision.