EIP-7843: SLOT precompile

EIPs EIPs core
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Discussion thread for Add EIP: SLOT precompile by Marchhill · Pull Request #9141 · ethereum/EIPs · GitHub

This EIP proposes to add a new precompile that returns the corresponding slot for the current block.

It is currently possible to calculate the slot number from the block timestamp. However, this requires hardcoding the chain slot length into a smart contract. This would require the contract code to be changed in the event of a future change to slot length. A better approach is for the slot number to be calculated by the execution layer and exposed in a precompile.

This precompile aims to improve support for encrypted mempools. In order to be secure, the validity of encrypted mempool transactions should be tied to the inclusion of all transactions by a proposer in the correct slot. This rule can be enforced by a smart contract using this precompile.

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Sharing a use case for this in support of the discussion: Verifying execution layer data with reference to the Beacon Chain requires calculating the Beacon Chain slot containing the execution layer block in its Execution Payload. The Beacon Chain provides the cryptographic primitives required to prove the inclusion of execution layer data in the canonical history of the chain but the first hurdle is matching an execution layer block to its Beacon Chain counterpart.

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