Ethereum Proposal Would Split Gas Schedules
Draft EIP-8488 would price newly deployed smart contracts under a separate V2 opcode set while existing contracts keep the legacy schedule.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
Ethereum draft proposal EIP-8488 would give newly deployed smart contracts a separate gas schedule after activation, while existing contracts keep the legacy schedule. The proposal remains open for review and has not changed Ethereum's rules.
Why it matters
The design aims to allow future changes to gas costs without disrupting contracts already running on the network. Developers building new contracts would be the ones directly affected by the separate schedule.
EIP-8488 would price new contracts under a V2 opcode set defined by EIP-8037 and EIP-8038, excluding the GAS and GASLIMIT opcodes, so any deployment including them would revert. The proposal introduces DELEGATECALL_V2, which fails immediately if the target's code_version is below 2; the draft remains open for review.
The players
Ethereum
Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain platform that runs smart contracts and is governed through a community-driven improvement proposal process.
The details
Under the draft, a V2 opcode set would apply to contracts deployed after activation, while legacy contracts continue on the existing schedule. The proposal also introduces DELEGATECALL_V2, which fails immediately if the target contract's code_version is below 2.
Timeline
- 2026-11-09
EIP-8488 draft published and opened for review
Market Landscape
EIP-8488 proposes a versioned gas schedule for new deployments, extending the Ethereum Improvement Proposal process that governs protocol changes. The approach lets pricing evolve for new contracts while legacy contracts keep their original costs.
Developers deploying new smart contracts would be priced under the V2 schedule and must avoid GAS and GASLIMIT opcodes, or their deployments would revert. Teams calling into other contracts would need to confirm the target's code_version is at least 2 to avoid immediate DELEGATECALL_V2 failures.
The takeaway
Developers planning new smart contracts should track EIP-8488 through its review stage, since the V2 schedule would change how new deployments are priced. Early awareness of the GAS and GASLIMIT exclusion can prevent failed deployments once the proposal is adopted.
Further reading
For broader context on automotive shifts, see Electric Vehicles.
