PulseChain, a hard fork of Ethereum, officially launched on May 14. However, the launch was not without its challenges.
Users faced issues with high transaction fees and encountered problems connecting to the HEX ecosystem. PulseChain was anticipated as a potential "Ethereum killer" due to its promise of high throughput and low fees. However, on launch day, network gas fees skyrocketed as demand surged. Some users reported paying exorbitant fees, with screenshots showing fees of around $100. These issues drew criticism, as PulseChain raised $1 billion under the premise of reducing Ethereum fees without relying on Layer 2 solutions.
Eric Wall, a prominent figure in the crypto community, highlighted the lack of scalability upgrades in PulseChain compared to Ethereum's forthcoming upgrade, EIP-4844. He pointed out that PulseChain's decision not to use Layer 2 solutions would result in more complex code and limited scalability.
Richard Heart, the driving force behind PulseChain, defended the gas fees, stating that those willing to pay more would have priority in block inclusion. However, users also reported difficulties connecting PulseChain to the HEX ecosystem, prompting suggestions to reinstall MetaMask or use a different browser.