Dev Update Week 19 n 20: Prysm Optional Proofs

# Dev Update Week 19 n 20: Prysm Optional Proofs **Developer:** Developeruche ### Summary Following the successful presentation of the RISC-V execution sandbox research, the focus for these two weeks shifted to a new, major task: implementing "Optional Execution Proofs" within the Prysm consensus client. This work is a crucial first step toward integrating zkEVMs directly into Ethereum L1, allowing the consensus layer (CL) to verify execution payloads without a full execution layer (EL) client. This effort involves a "rough prototype" PR to map out the significant architectural changes needed. The implementation follows a similar approach taken by Kev in the Lighthouse client, focusing on creating parallel logic that does not interfere with existing CL operations. ### Accomplishments These Weeks * **RISC-V Presentation:** Successfully delivered the final research presentation on the "Changing the Execution sandbox from EVM to RISCV ISA" proposal, concluding the previous workstream. * **Prysm Optional Proofs (WIP):** Began implementation of optional execution proof verification in the Prysm consensus client. * This is a **work-in-progress prototype** intended to discover all necessary architectural changes and is not intended for merging. * The core idea is to allow "Stateless Attestors" (nodes without an EL) to optimistically accept payloads and later verify them via a cryptographic proof received over a new subnet. * "Proof Generating Nodes" will be responsible for creating these proofs, which will be subsidized in the interim. * The prototype deliberately **avoids modifying fork choice logic**, instead using a "Proof Chain" structure to track proven blocks in parallel. * *Commits:* `add consensus types`, `add config`, `add proof cache`, `add proof gen n verify interfaces`, `add registry proof gen/verification`, `added cli flags` ### Links [Pull Request #16003 (Prysm Optional Proofs)](https://github.com/OffchainLabs/prysm/pull/16003) [Reference Notes (Lighthouse Implementation)](https://hackmd.io/@kevaundray/BJeZCo5Tgx)