eth_* state methods — block param required vs default-to-latest (ref: NethermindEth/nethermind#11764) - see Discord message for more contextMeeting Time: Monday, June 01, 2026 at 15:00 UTC (60 minutes)
The RPC standards call number 27 focused on reviewing OpenRPC updates and discussing API specifications. Zane presented two major pull requests from OpenRPC: a linter implementation to improve document quality and consistency, and a tag-driven release pipeline for versioning execution APIs. The linter includes recommended rules for method descriptions, error handling, and uniqueness constraints, while the release pipeline allows manual versioning with automated documentation updates. The team also discussed changes to block parameter requirements for state methods, with Manuel proposing to relax requirements and enforce default-to-latest behavior across all execution clients. Mercy raised questions about debug execution witness API discrepancies between different clients, particularly regarding JSON vs RLP encoding and error code handling, which Tullio suggested should be discussed in broader working groups including the ZK EVM group.
Zane presented two pull requests for OpenRPC: a linter implementation to help reason about OpenRPC document quality with 25-28 recommended rules, and a tag-driven release pipeline for versioning execution APIs. The release pipeline allows manual version tagging through GitHub pages releases, with automated generation of release notes and versioned documentation. The system creates both a main version and a next version branch to support development and release tracking, with tags providing functionality grouping capabilities.
Zane presented a runbook for maintainers and code orientation, which kclowes confirmed looked great. kclowes then discussed versioning for the execution API repository, proposing to release beta 5 this week and potentially tag it as v1.0 after Glamsterdam’s release. Zane suggested adding hard fork tags to methods introduced per hard fork as an additional affordance, which kclowes agreed would be useful.
Manuel presented a proposal to change the block parameter requirements for state methods in ATH specifications, suggesting to relax requirements and enforce a default-to-latest behavior, which is already implemented in Nethermine and ARF execution layers. Chase expressed support for the change but indicated he wants approval from other client developers before merging the PR. Tullio from Aragon indicated general support pending deeper review, and Chase agreed to coordinate with the GEF team for final approval before proceeding with the change.
Mercy discussed two PRs, one regarding version bumping and another that is not ready pending a question for Sena. She raised concerns about the lack of agreement across clients on the wire shape for debug execution witness, noting differences between GET and RET implementations. Stavros inquired about updates regarding a Nethermind issue concerning messaging code discrepancies, but Mercy indicated there were no updates to report.
The team discussed issues with error codes across different clients, particularly regarding whether to use generic or specific error codes. Stavros and Mercy agreed to take this discussion to the Discord execution dev channel rather than the ACDE call, as most client teams were not present. Zane reviewed Mercy’s PR regarding OpenRVC version bump and made modifications to replace external references with canonical version references while removing unnecessary Webpack overrides. The team also discussed a PR for ETH capabilities, with kclowes agreeing to trigger the CI/CD pipeline, and Tullio raised concerns about discrepancies in the debug execution witness API implementation across different clients, suggesting Chase engage with the ZK EVM working group for broader discussion.
T!T&xT96)T!T&xT96)T!T&xT96)YouTube recording available: https://youtu.be/iwiTvdoZfn8