Fusaka hard fork puts ethereum p2p networking at the center of PeerDAS upgrade

Fusaka upgrade marks a strategic turn for Ethereum P2P networking

In a major shift for the protocol’s scaling roadmap, developers have used the Fusaka hard fork to push ethereum p2p improvements into the spotlight through the new PeerDAS system.

With the Fusaka upgrade, activated on December 3, 2025, Ethereum introduced PeerDAS as a core component of its scaling stack. The change marks a deliberate move to reinforce the long-overlooked peer-to-peer layer, which Vitalik Buterin has repeatedly described as underprioritized compared with consensus and crypto-economics.

According to Buterin, research teams historically excelled at designing BFT consensus and incentive mechanisms, while networking received limited attention. As a result, data propagation was inefficient, and node views of the chain could diverge. However, Fusaka is designed to close that gap by treating networking as a first-class scaling lever.

“For years, I’ve complained internally at the EF that we do not have enough expertise at p2p: we think a lot about cryptoeconomics, BFT consensus and blocks, but we take the p2p networking layer for granted. I think that’s no longer true, and PeerDAS shows it,” Buterin said, highlighting the cultural shift inside the Ethereum Foundation.

PeerDAS targets data propagation and node stability

The core goal of PeerDAS is to improve how the network distributes blob data and samples across nodes. By redesigning the way information is shared in the peer-to-peer layer, the upgrade aims to make data propagation faster, more reliable, and less burdensome for individual participants.

PeerDAS relies on gossip-style dissemination to circulate blob samples throughout the network. Moreover, the system is structured to reduce bandwidth spikes and smooth load across nodes, which in turn supports more consistent state views and stronger overall stability.

Buterin argues that the network now benefits from a more robust and coherent peer-to-peer framework. He credited a broad group of contributors for bringing PeerDAS from research to production, stating that it proves the community is finally giving the networking layer the attention it requires.

This renewed focus on ethereum p2p infrastructure comes as the chain continues to scale execution through rollups and data blobs, making reliable message delivery and sampling a critical foundation for future throughput gains.

From DAS to PeerDAS in support of rollups

PeerDAS builds directly on Data Availability Sampling introduced with EIP-4844 in 2024. That earlier milestone allowed nodes to verify whether blobs were available without downloading full payloads, unlocking higher data capacity for rollups and other layer-2 systems.

While DAS focused on the verification logic, PeerDAS extends the model into the networking layer itself. Instead of concentrating sampling responsibilities, it spreads them across peers, ensuring that many nodes participate in checking and sharing small pieces of blob data.

This architecture is designed to reduce reliance on centralized infrastructure for data availability. Moreover, by embracing libp2p and traditional gossip-style distribution, PeerDAS aims to guarantee faster and more uniform dissemination of samples across the network.

As a consequence, nodes are better able to process data in sync, which helps prevent situations where some participants lag behind others or suffer from persistent node synchronization issues. That said, further optimization work on bandwidth and topology is expected as usage grows.

Reinforcing Ethereum’s rollup-centric roadmap

Rollups have become central to Ethereum’s long-term scaling roadmap, handling execution off-chain while posting compressed data back to the mainnet. These layer-2 systems depend on fast, trustworthy data distribution to maintain high throughput and preserve security guarantees.

PeerDAS directly targets these requirements by strengthening the underlying data layer that rollups rely on. Moreover, the approach is meant to make the base chain more resilient to surging blob volumes as rollup activity increases in the coming years.

Developers view this improved Ethereum rollup support as a key step toward handling demand from decentralized applications without sacrificing decentralization. By ensuring that data availability checks are widely distributed, the network can scale usage while keeping verification accessible to ordinary nodes.

Fusaka hard fork cements networking as a scaling pillar

The Fusaka hard fork effectively elevates PeerDAS from an experimental idea to a production component in Ethereum’s scaling strategy. By embedding the system in the protocol, the upgrade seeks to accelerate block data handling and increase reliability under heavy load.

According to Buterin, Fusaka represents the beginning of a new phase in Ethereum’s evolution. For years, the roadmap heavily emphasized consensus design and block production, leaving networking as an assumed background layer. However, the PeerDAS rollout signals a shift toward treating efficient data distribution as equally important.

With this change, the long-term vision of high scalability through modular design becomes more attainable. That said, core developers are expected to keep tuning how PeerDAS interacts with other components, including execution clients and blob-handling logic.

Looking ahead, Ethereum’s growth is increasingly tied to a durable peer-to-peer foundation. PeerDAS is positioned as the base layer for the next wave of rollup expansion and decentralized application usage, ensuring that data continues to flow smoothly even as demand surges.

Outlook for Ethereum P2P networking roadmap

Buterin has framed the Fusaka upgrade as proof that networking is no longer a neglected domain within the ecosystem. Moreover, by integrating PeerDAS directly into the mainnet, developers signal their commitment to solving structural issues instead of relying on ad hoc infrastructure.

As the community measures the real-world impact of PeerDAS on blob handling and node performance, attention will likely turn to further refinements in topology, congestion control, and peerdas data availability strategies. Additional improvements to client implementations and monitoring tools are also expected.

In summary, Fusaka and PeerDAS mark a decisive step in aligning Ethereum’s networking capabilities with its ambitious scaling goals. By fortifying the peer-to-peer layer, the upgrade prepares the protocol to support higher volumes of rollups and decentralized applications while preserving its core values of openness and decentralization.