Less than 13 minutes after the launch of Ethereum's Dencun upgrade, a user uploaded the entire Bee Movie script to the mainnet at a cost of approximately $14. This event, initiated by Ethereum developer Dan Cline, marks the first instance of a complete script being uploaded to the blockchain, leveraging the new upgrade aimed at reducing Layer 2 fees significantly. Cline humorously remarked in a post on X that while he may not have been the first to upload a blob, he was likely the first to upload the Bee Movie script on the mainnet.
The act of uploading Bee Movie scripts to various networks and blockchain features has been a longstanding joke within and outside of crypto circles, often involving a race to mint complete scripts on newly launched platforms. This phenomenon is derived from a broader Bee Movie meme, wherein individuals share the full script on social media whenever possible. According to data from Blobscan, the Bee Movie script was uploaded just 13 minutes before the Dencun upgrade went live on March 13, costing $13.88 in total.
EIP-4844, also known as "proto-danksharding," introduced blobs as a core feature of the Ethereum Dencun upgrade, aimed at significantly reducing transaction costs on Layer 2 networks. Alongside other enhancements, the upgrade allows Layer 2 to utilize blobs instead of calldata functions, resulting in cheaper transaction costs for users. However, blobs have a limited lifespan on the Ethereum network, typically lasting around 18 days before being pruned.
Shortly after Cline's upload, Mason Hall, an engineer and investing partner at cryptocurrency venture capital firm a16z, replicated the action, reporting an execution cost of $5. As of the latest data, three Ethereum Layer 2 networks—Starknet, ZkSync, and Optimism/Base—have implemented blobs on their platforms. Base lead developer Jesse Pollak noted a significant reduction in transaction fees on the Base network, from around $0.31 to nearly zero, following the integration of blobs.
In addition to EIP-4844, the Dencun upgrade includes eight additional EIPs aimed at enhancing various aspects of the network, such as consensus, execution, and data costs. Notable among these is EIP-4788, which enhances transparency by storing the root of each beacon chain block in a smart contract, facilitating queries by applications. Developers anticipate that this data will be utilized for new features in bridges and staking pools. However, widespread reductions in exchange and transaction fees on Ethereum Layer 2 networks are expected only with the full integration of EIP-4844.
