Taiko unveils new 'Shasta' upgrade: "Up to 22x gas-fee savings"

Taiko (TAIKO), an Ethereum (ETH)-based Layer 2 rollup project, said on the 22nd that it will soon deploy its new 'Shasta' upgrade to the Hoodi testnet.

The Shasta upgrade is a major overhaul that fully redesigns the core protocol. The aim is to maximize network performance and cost efficiency.

This upgrade focuses on cutting gas fees, including block proposing costs and proving costs. According to Taiko, once Shasta is deployed, block proposing costs on the network will be reduced by up to 22x, and proving costs by 8x.

The protocol architecture will also be simplified. Through Shasta, Taiko plans to retain only the essential functions required to operate the network—such as block production and verification and asset transfers—while removing unnecessary steps and complex structures. The company’s plan is to strengthen both cost efficiency and security through simplification.

The Shasta protocol is currently being tested on an internal development network. Taiko plans to deploy Shasta to Hoodi in the near term. After final checks and a community vote, a decision will be made on whether to roll it out to mainnet.

A Taiko official said, "Shasta goes beyond a simple performance improvement and will be a turning point for based rollups to move toward mass adoption," adding, "By simplifying the protocol and reducing costs, we will create an environment in which more rollups can participate in the Ethereum ecosystem."