Ethereum scalability: from Proto-Danksharding to full Danksharding implementation

Sharding technology has become one of the most discussed topics in the Ethereum ecosystem. Behind this lies an ambitious goal — to transform Ethereum from a network with limited throughput into a truly scalable platform capable of processing thousands of transactions per second.

Why is sharding critical for Ethereum?

Imagine that Ethereum is a city where all citizens (nodes) must know about all events in the city. This works as long as the city is small, but as it grows, the system becomes overloaded. The simple solution: divide the city into districts, where each district manages its own affairs but remains part of a whole.

This is exactly how sharding works. Instead of each node in the network processing and storing all transactions, the network is divided into several “shards” (segments). Each shard is responsible for a specific subset of transactions, significantly reducing the load and increasing the overall network performance.

Proto-Danksharding: the first step toward scalability

Proto-Danksharding is already implemented. It is an interim solution introduced in the Ethereum Cancun upgrade via EIP-4844. Although it is not a full version of the technology, proto-danksharding played a key role in improving fee situations.

What exactly did proto-danksharding do?

• Allowed Layer 2 solutions (rollups) to add data to Ethereum blocks at a substantially lower cost
• Reduced users’ transaction costs in rollups by 100-1000 times in some cases
• Provided a throughput of 100-10,000 transactions per second for Layer 2 applications
• Introduced the concept of “blob” transactions — a special data type with a short lifespan

Proto-danksharding laid the foundation for further development. It was a necessary stop on the way to full technology implementation.

Danksharding: the ambitious future of Ethereum

The full version of Danksharding is not just an improvement but a revolution in the approach to Ethereum scalability. The terminology traces back to Dankrad Fust, a well-known Ethereum researcher whose contributions to this architecture have been significant.

The main difference between Danksharding and traditional sharding methods is the use of a single block creator instead of a distributed validator system for each shard. This simplified structure provides more efficient transaction processing and creates a powerful path for scaling.

In the full implementation, Ethereum 2.0 will be divided into 64 shards. Each shard will operate in parallel, processing its set of transactions independently. However, unlike isolated systems, all shards remain part of a single network secured by a consensus mechanism.

How will this affect throughput?

Full Danksharding promises to reach over 100,000 transactions per second. For comparison:

• Current Ethereum (without L2): ~15 TPS
• Ethereum with proto-danksharding and L2: 100-10,000 TPS
• Ethereum with full Danksharding: 100,000+ TPS

These figures demonstrate the scale of the transformation expected.

Technical architecture: how does it work?

Let’s take a specific example. In a network with 1000 nodes without sharding, each node must verify and store every transaction. This creates enormous load.

With sharding implementation:

• One shard can process transactions for addresses from A to E
• Another shard processes addresses from F to J
• And so on for each of the 64 shards

Each node only needs to validate its own shard, reducing computational resource requirements by approximately 64 times. At the same time, network security is not compromised thanks to cross-shard bridging mechanisms.

Proto-Danksharding vs. Danksharding: comparison

Why is this important for the crypto ecosystem?

Proto-danksharding already demonstrates real impact. Users of Layer 2 applications (Arbitrum, Optimism, and others) see fee reductions. This is not just a technical progress — it means that DeFi, NFT, and other ecosystems are becoming more accessible to ordinary people.

When full Danksharding is implemented, the entry barrier will drop even further. Applications will be able to operate at speeds comparable to traditional financial systems while maintaining blockchain transparency and security.

Conclusion

Proto-danksharding is not a final solution but a critical step in Ethereum’s evolution. It already benefits users by reducing transaction costs. When fully realized, Danksharding will open a new chapter in the history of cryptocurrency scalability, making Ethereum the infrastructure of the future digital economy.