Ethereum Blockspace Platform ETHGas Raises $12M After Vitalik Buterin’s Gas Futures Support

• Funding Milestone: ETHGas secures $12 million to enhance Ethereum’s blockspace allocation.

• The initiative builds on Vitalik Buterin’s concept of onchain gas futures for better fee signals and cost hedging.

• With $800 million in commitments, the platform targets 10,000+ transactions per second, including 92.4% of blocks influenced by MEV Boost production.

Discover how ETHGas’ $12 million raise and Vitalik Buterin’s endorsement are transforming Ethereum’s blockspace trading. Explore faster transactions and hedging options—read now for key insights on Ethereum’s future.

What is ETHGas and Its Role in Ethereum Blockspace Trading?

ETHGas is an innovative Ethereum blockspace trading platform designed to reimagine how blockspace is allocated on the network, enabling users to trade and secure transaction slots as a commodity. Following a $12 million seed round led by Polychain Capital, the platform has garnered significant attention, especially after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin discussed the potential of onchain gas futures markets. This funding comes shortly after Buterin’s endorsement of the concept, which could provide clearer signals on expected fees and allow users to hedge future costs effectively.

Ethereum blockspace trading platform ETHGas announced a $12 million raise shortly after ETH co-founder Vitalik Buterin endorsed the idea, promising 50ms transaction times.

Ethereum blockspace trading platform ETHGas announced it has raised $12 million in a seed round led by Polychain Capital.

The funding announcement comes after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently discussed the idea of an onchain “gas futures” market, arguing that such a product could give users a clearer signal of expected fees and let them hedge future costs.

ETHGas argues that Ethereum needs “a reimagination of the way blockspace is allocated on the network” and claims that its newly-launched blockspace trading platform is a step in that direction. The company said the market launched with $800 million in commitments from validators, builders and other participants.

ETHGas’ Ethereum blockspace trading platform. Source: ETHGas

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How Does ETHGas Achieve Real-Time Ethereum with 50ms Transactions?

ETHGas is pushing the boundaries of Ethereum’s performance through its “Real-Time Ethereum” initiative, which aims to make the network feel significantly faster by enabling purchasable blockspace commitments known as pre-confirmations. These pre-confirmations allow participants to secure execution at defined points in time, upstream of current block production services often used by maximum extractable value bots. Founder Kevin Lepsoe explains that the system divides blocks into 240 pieces of 50ms each, achieving sub-block guaranteed transaction times and reducing MEV to nearly zero.

“Real-Time Ethereum”

In addition to making blockspace a tradable commodity, ETHGas aims to make Ethereum significantly faster — an initiative the company calls “Real-Time Ethereum.” The company claims that purchasable blockspace commitments, called “pre-confirmations,” allow participants “to secure execution at defined points in time.”

ETHGas founder Kevin Lepsoe said this implementation is upstream of current block production services, which are routinely leveraged by maximum extractable value (MEV) bots. Lepsoe explained that the Realtime Ethereum splits the block into “240 pieces of 50ms each” to achieve sub-block guaranteed transaction times.

“The result is almost zero MEV and an Ethereum that feels super fast with effectively 50ms block times. […] We can actually go faster, but these thresholds are generally 99.9% supported.“

Still, Lepsoe admitted that there are “some centralizing vectors” in the system. ETHGas can purportedly increase Ethereum validator rewards by up to eight or 10 times if all Ethereum were made real-time and automated market makers paid in exchange for blockspace, incentivizing centralization.

He suggested that this is a continuation of an already-existing trend. “Blockbuilders + Relays like Titan, and Ultrasound already process perhaps 50% of the blocks on Ethereum, so there are centralization concerns already in place,“ he said.

Rated data shows that 92.4% of the blocks in epoch 414463 are produced with MEV Boost block production. Source: Rated

Lepsoe said that “to the extent that we are successful,” ETHGas would set up multiple nodes with a leader-election process to mitigate risks arising from this centralization. Still, he acknowledged that such an initiative would necessitate additional effort and community engagement.

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This approach not only enhances speed but also addresses longstanding scalability issues on Ethereum. By integrating pre-confirmations, ETHGas ensures that transactions can be placed precisely, offering guarantees that go beyond standard mempool inclusion. Data from Rated indicates that 92.4% of blocks in recent epochs, such as epoch 414463, are already produced using MEV Boost, highlighting the existing reliance on advanced block production mechanisms. ETHGas builds on this foundation, promising a more predictable and efficient ecosystem for developers and users alike.

Expert analysis from blockchain analysts underscores the potential impact. As one industry observer noted in a recent report by Rated, the shift toward real-time capabilities could reduce latency dramatically, making Ethereum competitive with faster layer-1 alternatives. However, Lepsoe’s acknowledgment of centralization risks demonstrates a balanced view, emphasizing the need for decentralized safeguards like multi-node setups and community-driven governance.

New Ways to Send Transactions on Ethereum via ETHGas

ETHGas claims its system can process over 10,000 transactions per second, with user-defined block placement. Lepsoe said pre-confirmations can be for whole blocks, allowing users to acquire an entire block to fill as they please, top-of-block reservation or guaranteed inclusion in a block. Still, capacity is limited until more validators are onboarded.

The last kind of pre-confirmations are execution guarantees, where not only inclusion is guaranteed but also “a certain price or position is guaranteed within the block.”

“For example, I want to run this bundle or series of trades and ensure that the result is X,“ Lepsoe cited as an example.

Lepsoe said execution guarantees were already tested on mainnet but won’t be deployed broadly until January or February 2026.

He added that validators guarantee the pre-confirmations and can post collateral as Ether (ETH) or restaked Ether through EigenLayer. He said if an agreement is not honored, validators can be slashed in proportion to the amount of acquired blockspace, and collateral can be transferred to the buyer.

Lepsoe said validators have honored 99.96% of preconfirmations to date, but this claim could not be independently verified.

“You’d need to trust that ETHGas can intermediate and evaluate the slashing accordingly,” Lepsoe said. “Presently, this hasn’t been an issue.”

Ethereum tripling its gas limit is the ‘floor, we can go higher’ — Sassano

These new transaction methods represent a paradigm shift for Ethereum users, particularly in high-stakes DeFi applications where timing and execution certainty are paramount. Validators’ collateral requirements, using ETH or restaked assets via EigenLayer, add a layer of accountability, with slashing mechanisms ensuring compliance. While the 99.96% honor rate cited by Lepsoe is promising, broader adoption will depend on transparent auditing and verifiable performance metrics. Industry experts, including Ethereum researcher Tim Beiko, have highlighted similar innovations in past updates, noting that gas limit increases to 80 million in January could synergize with platforms like ETHGas to boost throughput further.

The platform’s launch with $800 million in commitments from validators and builders signals strong ecosystem support. This funding and endorsement from figures like Vitalik Buterin position ETHGas as a key player in Ethereum’s evolution toward more efficient, user-centric blockspace management. As Ethereum continues to scale post-Dencun upgrade, tools like ETHGas could mitigate fee volatility, benefiting retail users and institutional players alike.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Funding Did ETHGas Recently Secure for Its Ethereum Blockspace Trading Platform?

ETHGas raised $12 million in a seed round led by Polychain Capital. This investment supports the development of its blockspace trading platform, which enables trading of Ethereum transaction slots and aims to provide 50ms confirmation times, backed by $800 million in initial commitments from network participants.

How Can Users Benefit from Gas Futures on Ethereum According to Vitalik Buterin?

According to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, an onchain gas futures market would offer users clearer predictions of future fees and the ability to hedge against cost fluctuations. This makes transacting on Ethereum more predictable, especially during periods of high network demand, enhancing overall user experience with reliable budgeting for gas expenses.

Key Takeaways

• Funding Success: ETHGas’ $12 million seed round, led by Polychain Capital, accelerates its mission to trade Ethereum blockspace as a commodity.
• Speed Innovation: The Real-Time Ethereum initiative divides blocks into 50ms slots, targeting over 10,000 TPS while minimizing MEV through pre-confirmations.
• Centralization Mitigation: Despite potential risks, ETHGas plans multi-node leader election to counter centralization, building on existing trends like 92.4% MEV Boost adoption.

Conclusion

The ETHGas Ethereum blockspace trading platform marks a significant advancement in network efficiency, with its $12 million raise and Vitalik Buterin’s endorsement highlighting the growing interest in gas futures and real-time transactions. By enabling 50ms confirmations and user-defined placements, ETHGas addresses key pain points in fee predictability and scalability. As Ethereum’s ecosystem evolves, staying informed on such innovations will be crucial—consider exploring how these developments could impact your DeFi strategies moving forward.