What is a Gas limit?
Gas limit is a concept in the Ethereum blockchain that refers to the maximum amount of computational effort that is allowed for a given transaction or smart contract execution. It is an important factor in determining the feasibility and cost of executing a particular action on the Ethereum network.
The Ethereum network uses a virtual machine called the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to execute smart contracts and transactions. This virtual machine uses a unit of computational effort called gas to measure the amount of work required to execute a given action. The gas limit sets a maximum limit on the amount of gas that can be used for a given transaction or smart contract execution.
If the gas limit is set too low, the transaction or smart contract execution may not be able to complete, and the action will be abandoned. On the other hand, if the gas limit is set too high, it will result in an unnecessarily high cost for the transaction or smart contract execution, as the extra gas that is unused will be wasted.
The gas limit for a transaction or smart contract execution is determined by the sender, who must specify the gas limit in their transaction. Miners, who process transactions and smart contract executions on the Ethereum network, will then execute the transaction or smart contract up to the specified gas limit. If the gas limit is exceeded, the transaction or smart contract will be automatically stopped and the remaining gas will be refunded to the sender.
In summary, gas limit is an important concept in the Ethereum blockchain that sets a limit on the amount of computational effort that is allowed for a given transaction or smart contract execution. It is used to determine the feasibility and cost of executing a particular action on the Ethereum network, and is determined by the sender of the transaction or smart contract.
Simplified Example
Gas limit is like putting a limit on the amount of gas you can buy for your car. When you go to the gas station, you might only have enough money to fill up your tank halfway. In the same way, when you make a cryptocurrency transaction, you set a gas limit, which is the maximum amount of gas you're willing to spend to process the transaction. Just like you can only drive your car as far as the gas in your tank will take you, a cryptocurrency transaction can only be processed as far as the gas limit you set will allow.
Who Invented the Gas Limit?
The inception of the term "gas limit" can be attributed to Gavin Wood, a computer scientist and co-founder of Ethereum, in 2014. Wood introduced the notion of gas as a metric to quantify the computational resources necessary for executing transactions or smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. The term "gas limit" specifically denotes the maximum amount of gas that a user is prepared to expend for a transaction or the execution of a smart contract.
Examples
Setting a Maximum Gas Limit: The gas limit in cryptocurrency is a mechanism used to prevent excessively large or resource-intensive transactions from clogging the network. The gas limit sets a maximum amount of gas that a transaction can consume, and if the transaction exceeds this limit, it will not be processed and will be rejected by the network. This helps to prevent malicious actors from attempting to overload the network with resource-intensive transactions and protects the network from network congestion.
Balancing Cost and Confirmation Time: The gas limit in cryptocurrency can also be used to balance the cost of a transaction with the time it takes to confirm the transaction on the network. A higher gas limit will result in a faster confirmation time, but it will also increase the cost of the transaction. A lower gas limit will result in a slower confirmation time, but it will decrease the cost of the transaction. This allows users to choose the right gas limit that balances the cost and speed of their transaction to meet their specific needs.
Adjusting for Network Conditions: The gas limit in cryptocurrency can be adjusted based on network conditions, such as the number of transactions being processed and the overall network utilization. During periods of high network usage, the gas limit may be increased to ensure that transactions can be processed quickly, while during periods of low network usage, the gas limit may be decreased to reduce the cost of transactions. This helps to ensure that the network operates efficiently and effectively, regardless of the level of network usage.
Related terms
Ethereum Virtual Machine: A decentralized virtual computing environment running on the Ethereum blockchain.
Gas: A crucial concept in cryptocurrency, particularly in the Ethereum blockchain network.