Purr-suit of Ethereum 🐾 #2

Your Weekly Dose of Blockchain Updates and Meows!

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We're thrilled to bring you the second edition of Purr-suit of Ethereum, your go-to newsletter for staying updated on the latest happenings in the Ethereum ecosystem. In this edition, we dive into the latest developments shaping the Ethereum ecosystem, from upcoming major upgrades to community-driven initiatives. If you missed it, you may find the previous edition here.

Summary 🐾

  • Ethereum Network Upgrades: Pectra Devnet5 to be launched soon. Learn about Glamsterdam, get the latest updates on the Pectra (Prague+Electra) upgrade, insights from the InterOp meeting, and highlights from ACDC/ACDE discussions.
  • Breakout Room Meetings: Explore key discussions on Eth Multicall Implementers, PeerDAS, EOF Implementers, EVM Max, ePBS, and more.
  • EIPs Update: Stay informed with highlights from the EIP Editing Office Hour, EIPIP meetings, and the EIP Editors Workshop, alongside the latest insights from EIPsInsight.
  • Clients Updates: Catch up on the latest progress across both Execution and Consensus clients.
  • Community Resources: Discover research blogs, developers thoughts, and community-driven resources to support your Ethereum journey.
  • Public Goods Funding: Octant epoch 6 - Learn how your contributions may help public goods projects across the ecosystem.

Dive in as we explore key updates, emerging trends, and the collective efforts driving Ethereum’s continued growth. Let’s keep building together!

Ethereum Network Upgrade

Pectra (Prague+Electra) Upgrade

InterOp meeting (January 13, 2025)

Pectra

  • Spec releases were done last week, v1.5.0-beta.0 and pectra-devnet-5@v1.2.0
  • Pari will trigger the Hive update after Mario’s/Dan's fix.
  • New tests have been added for EIP-7623 into the EEST release.
  • No more test releases for devnets are expected before starting on the testnet, with a full release planned this week.
  • Tests are being consumed in Assertor, and initial results look promising.
  • No other open PRs; the testing is moving closer to the final release and testnet phase.
  • Depending on Dan's tests, Nethermind should pass all Hive tests.
  • Erigon: Passing all Spec tests; Hive test results are pending. Code review is in progress and looks positive.
  • Besu: In a similar position to Erigon, with all implementations completed and potentially quicker to release.
  • Open Topics:
    • Eric raised the topic of SSZ support for builder flow on CL.
    • Pari clarified that SSZ support is optional and not the main focus but will be tested in collaboration with the Flashbots team.
    • Lighthouse is still missing from Kurtosis tests, which impacts Pectra testing as Lighthouse is essential. Updates are expected this week.

Note: Pectra Devnet 5 will launch without MEV support by default but will add it later.

PeerDAS

  • Highlights from the last meeting:
    • Most clients are working on rebasing and local testing.
    • Standardizing metrics completely won't be possible and we would rely on two queries (seconds and milliseconds) for many metrics. Standardizing metrics may temporarily break some clients.

EOF

  • Danno will merge the branch for testing.
  • Some issues with block tests were noted but are expected.
  • Building for the Osaka 0 testnet will start once there are three merged clients.
  • Geth and Erigon have yet to merge their changes.
  • A smoother release process is anticipated when shipping is planned.

All Core Devs - Consensus (ACDC) #148

The first ACDC call of the year was relatively shorter, focusing primarily on pectra-devnet-5 logistics. Here are the key highlights, as summarized in notes by Alex Stokes:

  • Devnet-5 Launch: Expected within a week or two.
  • Spec Updates: Open questions and PRs for devnet-5 spec items have been addressed.
  • Client Readiness: All Consensus Layer (CL) clients are in various stages of readiness, nearing completion for devnet-5 launch. Execution Layer (EL) client readiness will be checked in the next ACDE call.
  • Forking Testnets: If devnet-5 proceeds smoothly, discussions to fork testnets Sepolia and Holesky to Pectra may begin in the next few weeks.
  • Community Coordination: Feedback was requested on a minimal set of node requirements to aid community coordination and protocol R&D. See the document here: Hardware Requirements - HackMD.
  • Upgrade Naming: The G-star name for the Consensus Layer upgrade is "Gloas". The upgrade following Fusaka is likely to be named Glamsterdam.

🎙️ You can also follow the ACDC 148 podcast, brought to you by the Ethereum Cat Herders team!

Breakout Room Meetings

Eth Multicall Implementers aka eth_simulator calls (Jan 06, 2025)

In the previous meeting, alongside the Client Implementation updates, developers discussed ideas for eth_simulateV2.

To improve accessibility and organization, notes will be shared, and Issues for future meetings are now created on the ethereum/pm repository.

Highlights from today's meeting

Agreed Action Items and Implementation Decisions

  • Add new tracing methods and derive specifications from implementations.
  • Specify the outer trace object structure while treating block traces as a black box.
  • Align EatSimulator implementation across all clients.

Transaction and Block Tracing Strategies

  • Explore adding a trace_simulate method for debugging transactions.
  • Propose tracing both transactions and blocks, capturing state roots between transactions.
  • Support client-specific tracing methods.
  • Consider creating separate namespaces for Geth and Parity traces to improve organization.
  • Potentially add client-specific namespaces for enhanced tracing methods.

eth_simulate Parameter Extensions

  • Propose adding an optional RLP return parameter to eth_simulate for v2 documentation.
  • Suggest including a hidden parameter to return RLP data alongside the standard JSON response.

Test Suite and Reliability Challenges

  • Investigating issues with duplicate blocks caused by total difficulty pegged to zero.
  • Reduced failing test cases from 83 to 72; duplicate block issues remain a significant challenge.
  • Regular updates to the Hive test suite; participants are encouraged to report any discrepancies.
  • Observed non-deterministic test failures likely linked to race conditions or shared state issues.

You can also watch the recording from today's meeting.

Stateless Implementers Call

No meeting was conducted last week, but Stateless Implementers Call #29 Agenda has been created for this week. The calendar indicates a meeting scheduled for today at 15:00 UTC. Any updates will be shared in the next issue, when available.

You may follow earlier meetings videos, notes available at breakout room folder.

PeerDAS Breakout Room #14 (Jan 07, 2025)

  • Client Updates:

    • Prysm supports Deneb-to-Electra & Fulu transitions and is working on custody group counts.
    • Lodestar is transitioning to custody groups with new implementers.
    • Nimbus completed custody groups (spec tests passing) and is focusing on column syncing and Fulu activation.
    • Lighthouse implemented custody groups and getBlobSidecars API, progressing on checkpoint sync and Fulu activation.
    • Teku developed a Fulu branch and will focus next on subnet decoupling.
  • Devnet Updates:

    • PeerDAS Devnet-4 Spec Alpha.10 released, featuring optional validator custody for supernodes. Pari is updating the spec.
  • Spec Changes:

    • Consensus Spec PR #4073 retains getBlobSidecars V2 endpoints and removes V3 endpoints. Updates will be included in the next devnet.
  • Metrics Issue:

    • PeerDAS metrics are unavailable for Teku and Lighthouse due to deprecated EIP7594_FORK_EPOCH. Using ethereum-package v4.4.0 is a temporary workaround until Fulu activation.

Detailed notes added to PeerDAS Breakout Room Folder with PR here.

FOCIL Implementers

No meeting was conducted last week. Developers have agreed that the next meeting will take place on January 14th at 14:00 UTC and will follow a biweekly cadence moving forward.

Refer to the agenda for details.

EOF Implementers Call #64 (January 8th, 2025)

The meeting was held on last Wednesday, where various client teams provided updates and discussed the potential launch of the EOF Devnet. As per Danno Ferrin's notes

  • Testing: One PR still needs to be merged. Fuzzing updates available: Ethereum Fuzzer Differential Script.
  • Client Updates: No new updates reported. Clients need to rebase on Perctra-5. A minimum of three clients is required for the EOF devnet.
  • Compiler Support: PR list reviewed; small proposed changes have minimal impact, but hashing changes are more significant. Assembly syntax for the EXCHANGE opcode remains undecided:
    • Options: absolute byte encoding, nybbles, or stack index (all have off-by-one issues).
    • Related inconsistencies affect SWAP/SWAPN numbering.
    • Refer to Frangio’s summary on assembly syntax.
  • Spec Updates: EIP-7834 introduces a separate metadata section for EOF 1. Potential scenarios summarized: EOF Address Scheme Updates.
  • Shipping Timeline: Target is contingent on resolving critical issues. Coordination with PeerDAS is recommended for simultaneous EL and CL forks.

Next Steps

  • Review and finalize the EOF Devnet-1 list for EOFv1 tuning.
  • Discuss the ACCOUNTTYPE opcode (EIP-7761) as a potential dealbreaker for app developers:
    • Is ERC-165 a viable alternative?
    • Identify what app developers would accept.

The agenda for the next meeting, scheduled for January 22nd, 2025, at 15:00 UTC, is now available.

To ensure community accessibility, the agenda, video, and notes from the last meeting have been added to the Breakout Room Folder along with the associated PR.

EIPs Update

EIP Editing Office Hour # 49

Organized on January 7th, Editor Sam Wilson reviewed pull requests:

  • 9/17 PRs merged.
  • 17/17 PRs reviewed.

Got an open PR? Add it for review and join us for our milestone 50th Office Hour on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 16:00 UTC. Bring your questions and get them answered!

Call For Inputs: Have Your Say on EIP Process Decisions

The Ethereum Cat Herders are seeking community input on several important EIP process decisions. Your participation is crucial in shaping the Ethereum ecosystem. There are 3 Open Call For Input this week:

  • Decision: Should external links to Blockchain Commons be allowed?
  • If Affirmed: Updates will be made to EIP-1 and eipw to permit such links.
  • If Rejected: No changes will be made.
  • Method: Rough Consensus
  • Deadline: February 6, 2025
  • Participate: GitHub Issue #376

2. Forcibly Withdraw EIP-7675

  • Decision: Should ethereum/EIPs#9154 be merged to forcibly move EIP-7675 to Withdrawn?
  • If Affirmed: EIP-7675 will be moved to the Withdrawn status.
  • If Rejected: No changes will be made.
  • Method: Rough Consensus
  • Deadline: January 17, 2025
  • Participate: GitHub Issue #374

3. Define "Meta" as Only Relating to Processes

  • Decision: Should ethereum/EIPs#9153 be merged to redefine "Meta" EIPs to exclude hardforks?
  • If Affirmed: Updates to EIP-1 will reclassify hardfork EIPs as Informational.
  • If Rejected: No changes will be made.
  • Method: Rough Consensus
  • Deadline: January 17, 2025
  • Participate: GitHub Issue #373

Join the discussions, provide your input, and help shape the decisions that impact the Ethereum ecosystem. Your voice matters

EIPsInsight January 2025

2 EIPs and 1 ERC proposals are added as Drafts

  1. EIP-7851: Deactivate/Reactivate a Delegated EOA's Key
    Status: Moved to Draft.
  2. EIP-7840: Add blob schedule to EL config files
    Status: Moved to Draft.
  3. ERC-7777: Governance for Human Robot Societies
    Status: Moved from Review to Draft.

7 EIPs are moved to Stagnant

  1. EIP-5806: Delegate transaction
    Status: Moved from Draft to Stagnant.
  2. EIP-7591: BLS signed transactions
    Status: Moved from Draft to Stagnant.
  3. EIP-7547: Inclusion lists
    Status: Moved from Review to Stagnant.
  4. EIP-7549: Move committee index outside Attestation
    Status: Moved from Review to Stagnant.
  5. EIP-7594: PeerDAS - Peer Data Availability Sampling
    Status: Moved from Review to Stagnant.
  6. EIP-7692: EVM Object Format (EOFv1) Meta
    Status: Moved from Review to Stagnant.
  7. EIP-7716: Anti-correlation attestation penalties
    Status: Moved from Draft to Stagnant.

2 ERCs are promoted to Review

  1. ERC-7777: Governance for Human Robot Societies
    Status: Moved from Draft to Review.
  2. ERC-7818: Expirable ERC-20
    Status: Moved from Draft to Review.

3 ERCs are promoted to Last Call

  1. ERC-7734: Decentralized Identity Verification (DID)
    Status: Moved from Review to Last Call.
  2. ERC-7751: Wrapping of bubbled up reverts
    Status: Moved from Review to Last Call.
  3. ERC-7820: Access Control Registry
    Status: Moved from Review to Last Call.

EIP Editors Workshop

With the growing number of PRs, we need more reviewers! A big thank you to the client developers who have shown interest in volunteering to review and edit. 🙌

If you’re interested in learning how you can support EIPs, join us for the EIP Editor’s Workshop:
📅 Date: January 17th, 2025
🕓 Time: 16:00 UTC

📺 The meeting will be live-streamed on EthCatHerders YouTube.

Let’s collaborate to improve the EIP process together! 💡

Clients Updates

Execution

erigon v2.61.0

Upcoming Ethereum Protocol Meetings

Date & Time Meeting Prev Notes or Folder Recording Playlist
Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 at 14:00 UTC FOCIL #2 FOCIL Breakout Room FOCIL Playlist
Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 at 15:00 UTC EIPIP Meeting 112 Prev. Notes EIPIP Playlist
Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 at 16:00 UTC EVM Resource Pricing Breakout #1 TBA TBA
Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 17:00 UTC L2 Interop Working Group TBA TBA
Thursday, January 16th, 2025 at 14:00 UTC ACDE 203 AllCoreDevs-EL-Meetings Stream Link
Thursday, January 16th, 2025 at 21:00 UTC PEEPanEIP-7691: Blob throughput increase with Parithosh Jayanthi, Toni Wahrstätter, Sam Calder-Mason Meeting link on ECH Discord TBA
Friday, January 17th, 2025 at 14:00 UTC [ePBS breakout call #15] ePBS Playlist
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025 at 15:00 UTC EOF Implementers Call #65 EOF Playlist
Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 12:00 UTC EVMMAX Implementers Call 2 EVMMAX Playlist

Other event dates

  • The Next Billion
    Fellowship
    application for Cohort 5 accepted until January 19th, 2025. If you miss the deadline, you'll be considered for cohort #6 (starting in October 2025).

Community Resources

Research

Public Goods Funding

Octant Community in the 6th Epoch

The Octant community is now in the 6th epoch to support public goods (PG) projects in the Ethereum ecosystem.

Screenshot 2025-01-12 at 11.03.33 PM

Many thanks to fishbiscuit and other 8 supporters who have supported EthCaHerders in the active round.

If you're one of those who supported Ethereum Cat Herders on Octant epoch 6, we appreciate your support. Please tag us on X and motivate others.

Key Dates

The allocation window opened on January 11, 2025, and will remain open until January 25, 2025.

How You Can Support

If you hold GLM, we’d greatly appreciate your support for EthCatHerders and other public goods projects. Octant will multiply your contributions to amplify their impact on the project.

Learn More

Check out where EthCatHerders will use the donations.

Have updates about your projects or clients? Share them with us at team@ethcatherders.com by Friday (end of day EST) to be added in the next issue, scheduled for release the following Monday.

Stay Curious, Stay Connected and Keep Purring 🐾