Ethereum Blobs protocol
Overview
Ethereum's Dencun upgrade, which went live on 13 March 2024, introduced a new data structure called blobs via EIP-4844, also referred to as proto-danksharding. Each blob is approximately 128 KB in size and is transmitted through a dedicated blob transaction. These data chunks are stored on the consensus layer, not the Ethereum Virtual Machine, and are automatically deleted after roughly 18 days. Since rollups require transaction data to remain available only for the duration needed to finalise fraud or validity proofs, this temporary storage mechanism allows layer-2 networks to post data at significantly reduced expense. Following activation, the cost of posting data for layer-2 solutions dropped sharply. EIP-4844 is intended as an initial step towards full danksharding.
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Questions on the record
How long is blob data retained?
Blob data resides temporarily on the consensus layer and is pruned approximately 18 days after posting.
Why are blobs cheaper than calldata for rollups?
Blobs are ephemeral and exist outside the EVM, requiring availability only long enough for fraud or validity proofs to finalize. This structural difference materially lowered the cost of posting data for layer-2 rollups.