Scroll cost shifts and the Ethereum fee formula

Scroll users see changes in transaction costs as Ethereum reevaluates data availability pricing. The L1 data fee relies on a specific formula: l1BaseFee commitScalar + len(txRlp) l1BlobBaseFee * blobScalar. The interaction between the L1 base fee and the blob base fee dictates the final cost for every transaction, and even the 2.8x data reduction from zstd compression cannot fully bypass changes in Ethereum’s data availability pricing. While the Curie upgrade increased the maximum number of chunks in a batch from 15 to 45, allowing approximately 600 transactions per blob, it also introduced EIP-1559 and EIP-2930 support to stabilize fees. This upgrade also enables TLOAD, TSTORE, and MCOPY opcodes to optimize memory and storage management. Previously, the Bernoulli upgrade moved rollup transaction data from calldata to blob space to make data availability cheaper. The L1GasPriceOracle contract updates the sequencer to account for blob DA, using a formula that combines the L1 base fee with the length of the transaction and a blob base fee. Verkle trees reduce witness size to approximately 200 bytes per account, but contract code still presents a challenge. Accessing code chunks incurs extra gas, and this could increase the cost of calling some contracts substantially. Most blocks in mid 2026 contain 2 to 4 blobs, so the market remains stable, but any renegotiation of how calldata and blobs interact changes the math. Can Scroll maintain its 2x gas reduction if blob scarcity returns?

Polygon PoS moves toward Validium

Polygon Labs aims to convert Polygon PoS into a zkEVM Validium to increase throughput and lower fees. This transition uses off-chain data availability instead of expensive Ethereum gas to store transaction data. Users still benefit from ZK proofs for validity, and the existing 100+ validators, who hold a stake of $2 billion in $MATIC, provide security for the network. Proving a 10 million gas batch on Polygon zkEVM costs $0.0259, which results in a rate of $0.00005 per transfer. The upgrade requires no smart contract retooling because the ZK tech-stack integrates into the existing network.

Following the upgrade, the existing validators will handle sequencing transactions and ensuring data availability. The two networks exist together. The rollup handles high-value transactions, while the Validium targets high-volume applications. To implement this, Polygon must move through a governance process involving the Pre-PIP, PIP-1, and PIP-8 stages on the governance forum. Implementation would likely go live on Mainnet by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Linea decentralization and the training wheels phase

Linea manages its ecosystem through the Linea Consortium rather than token-based governance. This structure aims to mitigate regulatory risks during its current training wheels phase. The network plans to transition from Type 2 to Type 1 zkEVM technology to support 5,000 transactions per second. Linea allocates 85% of its tokens to ecosystem development and 15% to ConsenSys with a five-year lockup. Bridged ETH on Linea automatically stakes through Lido to generate yield and support liquidity. The network also maintains compatibility with MetaMask and over 400 partners like Aave, PancakeSwap, and SushiSwap. The Alpha V2 upgrade previously reduced gas fees by 66% through batch aggregation. The network recently froze all transactions to protect users after attackers drained $2.3 million in ETH from the Velocore decentralized exchange. This decision drew criticism from developers like Tom Lehman, who noted that centralized control remains a problem for most scaling networks. Users on social media decried the action as a violation of decentralization. This incident showed how a few people could halt a network from their own homes. Most major networks rely on sequencers controlled by their parent companies. You should notice how these teams control the profits from every transaction.