Ethereum, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, underwent a highly anticipated upgrade known as the London Hard Fork on August 5th, 2021. This upgrade introduced several significant changes to the Ethereum blockchain, including the implementation of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 1559, which aims to improve transaction efficiency and reduce gas fees.
The London Hard Fork represents a major milestone in Ethereum's journey towards scalability, sustainability, and improved user experience. One of the most anticipated changes introduced by the upgrade is EIP-1559, which overhauls Ethereum's fee structure by introducing a base fee that adjusts dynamically based on network demand.
Under the new fee model, a portion of the transaction fees is burned (destroyed), effectively reducing the supply of Ethereum over time. This deflationary mechanism is expected to make Ethereum a more scarce and valuable asset, potentially leading to increased price appreciation over the long term.