Ethereum’s Gas Pools: A Closer Look at Minimum Transaction Gases

The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is built on top of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), a layer that provides an abstraction for interacting with the Ethereum network. One aspect of EVM functionality is its gas system, which allows for more efficient and scalable transaction processing. However, in recent years, Optimism has become synonymous with a specific approach to addressing this issue: using a minimum transaction gas of 21,000.

But do all EVM chains use the same minimum transaction gas of 21,000? In fact, not all EVM chains are created equal when it comes to their transaction gas policies. This raises an important question: why do Optimism’s approach seem so prevalent, while others opt for different gas values?

What is a minimum transaction gas?

In the context of Ethereum and EVM, a minimum transaction gas refers to the lowest amount of gas required for a transaction to be processed on the blockchain. It represents the smallest unit of computational effort that can be executed without breaking the rules of the network.

For example, in 2017, the Ethereum network implemented a cap of 20,000 gas units per transaction to prevent excessive spamming and ensure fair usage of the network’s resources.

Do all EVM chains use 21,000 as their minimum transaction gas?

In theory, no. While Optimism has popularized using 21,000 gas as a default for simple ETH payments, other EVM chains may have different policies in place. For instance:

• Poised Network: Poised is another Optimism-based network that uses 20,000 gas units per transaction. Their approach emphasizes fairness and low fees.

• Poly Network: Poly Network’s gas policy is less predictable, but it appears to be similar to Etherscan’s default gas value of 5,000.

• Binance Smart Chain (BSC): BSC has a more relaxed gas policy compared to Optimism. It allows for up to 2 million gas units per transaction, which is significantly higher than the typical value used in Ethereum.

Why does Optimism seem so popular?

There are several reasons why Optimism’s approach seems to dominate:

• Scalability: By using a lower minimum transaction gas (21,000), Optimism can handle more transactions without breaking the rules of the network. This allows for faster and cheaper transactions on the Ethereum blockchain.

• Competitive pricing: Optimism’s use of 20,000 gas units per transaction might be seen as competitive with other networks offering similar services at lower fees.

Conclusion

While some EVM chains may opt for different minimum transaction gases, Optimism’s approach has become a de facto standard. However, this doesn’t mean that all EVM chains are created equal when it comes to their gas policies. As the Ethereum ecosystem continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how other networks adapt and innovate in response.

Sources

• “Ethereum 2.0: A new era for decentralized applications” by Ethereum

• “Optimism’s approach to gas prices” by CoinDesk

• “Poised Network’s gas policy explained” by Poised Network

• “Binance Smart Chain (BSC) Gas Policy” by Binance