Ethereum’s All Core Devs Meeting (ACDC) #153: Key Updates and Challenges

Ethereum’s developers are racing against time to refine their blockchain, with the latest All Core Devs Meeting (ACDC) #153 unveiling critical updates and challenges. From the launch of the Hoodi Testnet to discussions on validator custody dynamics and the potential inclusion of EIP-7688, the meeting provided a comprehensive overview of Ethereum’s ongoing efforts to enhance its network.

• Hoodi Testnet launched, Pectra upgrade scheduled for March 26
• Pectra mainnet readiness hinges on Hoodi stability, bug bounty results
• History expiry tied to EIP-6110, potential May 1st deadline
• Pectra Devnet 6 tested gas limit increase, revealing client performance issues
• PeerDAS Devnet 5 & 6 focused on validator custody and database redesign
• EIP-7688 proposed to introduce stable container structures for state storage

Hoodi Testnet Launch

The Hoodi Testnet has taken its first steps, marking a significant milestone towards the Pectra upgrade, scheduled for March 26. Client teams like Lodestar, Lighthouse, and Geth are racing to ensure full compatibility, showcasing Ethereum’s vibrant development ecosystem. Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) refers to a formal proposal for changes or enhancements to the Ethereum network, and these teams are hard at work to meet them. Yet, the path to progress isn’t always smooth. The stability of this testnet and the results of a bug bounty competition ending March 24 are critical checkpoints before Pectra can go live on the mainnet. While some developers advocate for a more measured approach, emphasizing network stability over a hasty rollout, others might argue that this cautious stance could slow down Ethereum’s progress compared to more agile competitors like Solana or Cardano. It’s a delicate balance, but Ethereum’s developers are committed to ensuring a robust and reliable platform.

Pectra Upgrade Timeline

The readiness of Pectra for the mainnet depends heavily on the stability of the Hoodi Testnet. A successful testnet is crucial, and the ongoing bug bounty competition until March 24 could influence the timeline. Client teams have expressed caution about rushing the deployment, prioritizing thorough testing and bug resolution. This cautious approach, while potentially delaying the rollout, underscores the importance of prioritizing network stability over speed. Yet, it’s worth asking: could this slow pace allow faster-moving competitors to gain an edge in the blockchain race? The balance between network stability and speed is a topic of ongoing debate within the community.

History Expiry and EIP-6110

History expiry is a proposed mechanism designed to remove older blockchain data, optimizing storage and improving network efficiency. The target date for expiring pre-merge history is set for May 1, 2025, but this plan is intricately linked to the activation of EIP-6110, which manages Ethereum’s deposit logs. EIP-6110 will only be live with the Pectra upgrade, adding complexity to the process. The team is exploring alternatives, such as expiring history only before the deployment of the deposit contract, to balance the need for reduced storage with the preservation of critical data. One might wonder, could this dependency on EIP-6110 be a bottleneck in Ethereum’s quest for efficiency?

Pectra Devnet 6 Testing

Pectra Devnet 6 has been testing the effects of increasing the gas limit to 60 million, revealing performance issues in various execution-layer clients. Geth and Lighthouse struggled with high RAM usage and out-of-memory crashes, while Besu and Teku proved more stable. This testing process highlights the importance of optimizing client performance to handle increased transaction loads, a crucial aspect of Ethereum’s scalability efforts. As the network aims to process more transactions efficiently, these challenges must be addressed to ensure a smooth user experience. However, while increasing the gas limit could improve throughput, it’s a double-edged sword that might strain node operators and increase state growth, potentially affecting home stakers. Discussions on client performance issues continue to be a hot topic among Ethereum enthusiasts.

PeerDAS Devnet 5 & 6

Meanwhile, PeerDAS Devnet 5 and Devnet 6 are focusing on validator custody dynamics and database redesign. The Prysm client faced performance issues due to its database design, prompting a redesign to prevent excessive file creation. Validator custody is being fast-tracked to Devnet 5 for earlier testing, emphasizing the importance of secure data storage and retrieval. These efforts are complemented by experiments with higher blob counts and peering issues at scale, all aimed at improving network performance and scalability. It’s a reminder that Ethereum’s developers are playing a high-stakes game of Tetris, trying to fit new features into the blockchain without crashing the system.

EIP-7688 Proposal

Lastly, EIP-7688 was discussed as a proposal to introduce stable container structures within Ethereum’s state storage. This would address the issue of generalized index structures (G-indices) shifting with upgrades, causing complex dependencies for applications like Lido, RocketPool, and EigenLayer. Stable containers could reduce governance overhead and enable future state optimizations, making them a valuable addition to Ethereum’s ecosystem. Major staking pools have already shown support for EIP-7688, and client implementations are underway. However, while this proposal could streamline operations, it’s important to consider whether it might introduce new complexities that could affect application developers. Community discussions on the impact of EIP-7688 are ongoing.

Key Takeaways and Questions:

• What is the current status of the Hoodi Testnet?

  The Hoodi Testnet has been launched and is running smoothly, with the Pectra upgrade scheduled for March 26.

• What factors are crucial for Pectra’s mainnet readiness?

  Key factors include the stability of the Hoodi Testnet, the results of the ongoing bug bounty competition, and client team feedback.

• How does history expiry aim to improve Ethereum’s network?

  History expiry optimizes storage and improves network efficiency by removing older blockchain history, reducing the storage burden for node operators.

• What challenges were revealed during Pectra Devnet 6 testing?

  Increasing the gas limit to 60 million revealed performance issues in execution-layer clients, particularly with memory consumption and out-of-memory crashes.

• What is the significance of validator custody in PeerDAS Devnet 5 & 6?

  Validator custody is being fast-tracked for earlier testing and feedback, focusing on secure data storage and retrieval under varying network conditions.

• What problem does EIP-7688 aim to solve?

  EIP-7688 introduces stable container structures to prevent breaking changes in index references caused by shifting generalized index structures during upgrades.

As Ethereum continues to evolve, these updates and challenges highlight the delicate balance between innovation and stability. The network’s commitment to thorough testing and cautious deployment is commendable, ensuring that each step forward is taken with care. However, the devil’s advocate in us can’t help but wonder if this cautious approach might slow down Ethereum’s progress compared to more agile competitors. Only time will tell how these developments will shape the future of Ethereum and the broader crypto landscape. Community discussions on the challenges faced by the Hoodi Testnet provide further insight into these ongoing efforts.