New model aims to let users lock in future gas prices and hedge against network fee volatility
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has introduced a potential mechanism to help users manage unpredictable transaction costs: an on-chain gas futures market. The concept is designed to give individuals and developers the ability to secure gas prices ahead of time, offering protection from sudden network fee spikes.
In a detailed post on X, Buterin said the Ethereum community needs a “trustless on-chain gas futures market” as questions continue to arise about how the network can kep gas fees consistently low as usage grows. His proposal centers on creating futures contracts tied to Ethereum Base fees the core component that determines overall gas costs.
Under this model, users could lock in gas prices for specific time windows, similar to how traditional futures markets allow buyers and sellers to commit to future prices of commodities like oil. An Ethereum gas futures market would function the same way, enabling users to purchase guaranteed access to network resources at preset prices, effectively hedging against fee spikes.
Buterin emphasized that such a system would offer the ecosystem a valuable forecasting tool, providing a clear signal about expected future fees. “People would be able to hedge against future gas prices, effectively prepaying for specific quantities of gas in defined intervals,” he explained. Heavy-volume users such as traders, builders, institutional participants and applications—stand to benefit most from predictable cost projections.
The proposal comes as Ethereum fees have trended downward in 2025. Average gas for basic transactions has fallen to roughly 0.474 gwei, or about one cent. Yet, more complex actions—such as token swaps, NFT trades and bridging—still cost between $0.05 and $0.27, and fees continue to fluctuate. Ycharts data shows that average fees dropped from $1 at the start of the year to $0.30, with spikes above $2.60 and lows near $0.18.
Buterin’s futures concept seeks to reduce this volatility, giving users more stability as Ethereum adoption accelerates.
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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.