On December 19, Ethereum's All-Core Devs held their final call of 2024, focusing on plans to raise the gas limit and discussing the progress of the Pectra upgrade.

The proposed increase aims for a target gas limit of 36 million, which mirrors a previous 20% increase from three years ago, though it faces technical challenges related to the consensus layer's 'GOSSIP_MAX_SIZE.'

Successful tests on the Mekong testnet have demonstrated the viability of a gas limit set at 36 million, providing a stable environment for performance evaluation.

Validators are able to signal their support for the gas limit increase without necessitating a hard fork; currently, 16.8% have shown support, with initiatives like PumpTheGas.org encouraging further participation.

In addition to the gas limit discussions, EIP-2537 is set to adjust gas costs for Boneh-Lynn-Shacham (BLS) precompile operations, aiming to ensure fair pricing for resource-intensive tasks and enhance network efficiency.

Developers cautioned against raising the mainnet gas limit beyond 40 million without first addressing existing constraints, particularly those affecting validator clients such as Prysm.

The collaborative development approach of Ethereum was evident during the call, underscoring its commitment to improving technical capabilities while maintaining network stability.

The discussion also highlighted the need for clearer validator node requirements and proposed redefining 'Meta' EIPs to streamline hard fork management.

Proposed changes include replacing EIP-7742 with EIP-7840, which would allow developers to manage 'blob counts' independently, thereby enhancing scalability and stability.

Looking ahead, a working group focused on EVM resource pricing is set to launch in January, aiming to standardize gas cost calculations to improve efficiency and fairness in Ethereum's fee structure.

Lastly, EIP-4444, which involves the expiry of pre-Merge history, is scheduled for rollout on May 1, 2025, but it will require additional testing before implementation.

The Pectra upgrade remains a key focus for Ethereum's roadmap in 2025, with a planned release in the first quarter and a Devnet-5 launch anticipated before the end of the year.