ethp2p integration: two networking stacks into one
Strawmap L* (2029~30) · ethp2p unification
This merges the two node-to-node communication methods (p2p network stacks) that the execution client and the consensus client use separately into a single system. The rules for transactions and blocks do not change.
Why it is needed
An Ethereum node runs as two programs: an execution client that executes transactions and a consensus client that reaches agreement on blocks. The two programs also connect to other nodes in different ways. The execution client uses devp2p, which has been in use since 2015, and the consensus client uses libp2p, which was chosen when the Beacon Chain was designed. With The Merge in 2022 the two chains became one, but the networking remained split in two. Two networking systems mean twice the work. Client teams must maintain two kinds of network code and review security issues separately. A team building a new client must implement both systems. A single node also manages two peer lists. ethp2p integration is the work of merging these two networking systems into one common system. It is not a change to consensus rules but a change to client implementations and network specifications, so the Strawmap classifies it as work outside the protocol. The Strawmap places this item in the L* fork column (expected 2029 to 2030), but this is only an expectation, not a confirmed date. Specific design questions, such as which technology to build the merged system on, are still under discussion.
How it works
- Today there are two networking systems The execution client connects to other nodes with devp2p, and the consensus client with libp2p. Within one node, the two networks each find their own peers and each exchange their own data.
- Merge them into a single ethp2p The two systems are merged into one common networking system, so a node finds peers and exchanges data such as blocks and transactions in a single way. Only how nodes talk to each other changes, and the rules stay the same.