Ethereum Core Developers Discuss Key Updates in Latest Call

On July 18, 2024, Ethereum protocol developers convened virtually for All Core Developers Execution (ACDE) Call #192. Chaired by Ethereum Foundation (EF) Protocol Support Lead Tim Beiko, the bi-weekly meeting focuses on discussing and coordinating changes to the execution layer (EL) of Ethereum, according to Galaxy.com.

Discussion on EOF and EIP 7702

This week, the developers engaged in an extensive debate about the inclusion of Ethereum Virtual Machine Object Format (EOF) in the upcoming Pectra upgrade. Marius van der Wijden, a Geth developer, voiced strong concerns regarding the complexity and risks associated with EOF code changes. Despite the lengthy discussion, no final decisions were made on EOF or the proposed changes to EIP 7702.

Tim Beiko emphasized three additions to Pectra that developers should review in the coming weeks. However, there were no updates on EIP 4444 during the call.

Pectra Devnet 1

Updates on Pectra Devnet 1 were provided by an EF Developers Operations team member known as pk910. Since the launch of Devnet 0 in May, client teams have faced multiple setbacks in preparing new implementations. However, all client teams are now ready, with most issues identified during testing being resolved. The Prysm and Erigon teams are still working on fixes, and developers aim to launch Devnet 1 on July 25 with all clients.

EOF Concerns

EOF represents a bundle of code changes aimed at improving the functionality of smart contract code execution. Despite its potential benefits, van der Wijden expressed strong opposition, citing implementation risks. He stated, “I think it’s risky, and I think the risks outweigh the benefits.” On the other hand, Daniel Kirchner from the EF Solidity team argued that EOF is a “superior design” and essential for Layer 2 rollups (L2s).

The debate extended to the role of Ethereum in a rollup-centric future. EF Researcher Ansgar Dietrichs and Prysm developer “Potuz” supported the inclusion of EOF, while Geth developer “Lightclient” argued for a simpler Layer 1 (L1) infrastructure. Independent developer Danno Ferrin stressed that EVM improvements are crucial for Ethereum’s survival, while van der Wijden and Lightclient remained skeptical about the long-term benefits of EOF.

Tim Beiko suggested moving forward with EOF in Pectra for now, with the option to reconsider if safety concerns arise closer to the fork's release.

EIP 7702 Proposed Changes

Ankit Chiplunkar from Frontier Tech proposed changes to EIP 7702, which were discussed at the WalletConnect conference. These changes aim to extend the use cases for EIP 7702 and improve its security. However, some developers, including Julian Rachman from Otim Labs and Elias Tazartes from Kakarot zkEVM, opposed the changes, arguing that they add unnecessary complexity.

Developers could not reach a consensus on the proposed changes, and Beiko recommended continuing the discussion asynchronously on Discord. He acknowledged that the specifications might change on future devnets after further testing and discussion.

Additions to Pectra

Due to time constraints, Beiko recommended that remaining agenda topics be discussed asynchronously. Lightclient proposed deploying system contracts with an event log for future Pectra devnets. Beiko highlighted EIP 7742 and RIP 7212 as potential additions to Pectra, but emphasized the need to focus on shipping Pectra Devnet 1 first.

There were no updates on EIP 4444.