What is the Ethereum Dencun upgrade and why does it matter?

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What is the Ethereum Dencun upgrade and why does it matter?

[Geras]

The Dencun upgrade (a combination of Deneb and Cancun improvements) is a major Ethereum network hard fork that launched in March 2024 to improve scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Its headline feature, Proto-Danksharding (EIP-4844), introduces “data blobs” that make Layer-2 rollup transactions much cheaper and faster https://techbriefly.com/2024/03/22/delving-into-the-dencun-upgrade-and-its-goals/. The upgrade also includes other improvements to smart contracts, security, and validator operations, helping Ethereum support more users and usage.