Forming a Ring: ETH v64 Wire Protocol Ring

Working Groups
2

Call for ETH v64 Wire Protocol Enhancements

Background

The ETH wire protocol provides the application layer for Ethereum clients. A lot has changed and a lot has been learned since the last ETH wire protocol was introduced in 2015.

The significant state requirements to operate a node are hindering the health of the network. Synchronization requires a large amount of state to store and download from peers. The implications of this include:

  • Conventional hardware nodes cannot willingly join and participate in the network
  • Syncing from scratch takes a very long time (e.g. days)
  • Networking bandwidth requirements can be outstanding

Process

The recommended process for selecting ETH v64 wire protocol enhancements is as follows (the later stages can happen on a proposal-by-proposal basis):

  1. Solicit proposals for ETH v64 in this ring: Begin with brainstorming and informal discussions for improvements. This can happen initially happen within this thread, but should probably be broken out into a separate thread if more organization and focus is needed.

  2. Establish Contributors and Stakeholders: The ring will identify proposals worth pursuing and establish who will drive them forward.

  3. EIP Drafting and Prototyping: Create initial EIPs outlining the enhancements and solicit broader feedback. It is highly encouraged that running prototypes accompany any EIP.*

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