Ethereum Developers Deliberate on Key EIPs in Core Developers Call #201

On December 5, 2024, Ethereum protocol developers convened online for the All Core Developers Execution (ACDE) Call #201, chaired by Tim Beiko of the Ethereum Foundation. These bi-weekly meetings are critical for discussing and coordinating changes to Ethereum's execution layer (EL).

Key Decisions and Discussions

During the call, developers reached a consensus to include EIP 7623, which proposes an increase in calldata cost, in the upcoming Pectra upgrade. Conversely, EIP 7762 was excluded from the upgrade due to lack of support, though it may be revisited in future discussions. Additionally, the rollout of EIP 7639, which ceases serving history before the Paris upgrade, and EIP 4803, which limits transaction gas, were discussed for potential inclusion in Pectra.

Mekong Testnet Updates

Parithosh Jayanthi, an EF Developer Operations Engineer, reported on recent disruptions in the Mekong testnet. The Grandine team has implemented fixes, resulting in 97% validator participation. However, issues persist with the Nimbus and EthereumJS clients.

Pectra Devnet 5 Specifications

Jayanthi also highlighted three open pull requests for Pectra Devnet 5 specifications, urging client teams to review them promptly. These include EIP 7742, EIP 7691, and execution API changes required for EIP 7742. Tim Beiko noted plans to add EIP 7691 to the Pectra Meta EIP following the call.

Finalizing Pectra Scope

Discussions also centered on finalizing the scope of Pectra, with significant focus on BLS gas repricing and the inclusion of EIP 7623. Developers aim to finalize these decisions before the holiday season to ensure a clear target for the upgrade in January.

Inclusion of EIP 7762

The call also addressed the possible inclusion of EIP 7762, which adjusts the minimum base fee for blob transactions. Despite its minimal code changes, concerns were raised about its impact on the Pectra timeline. Further feedback from rollup teams is anticipated, with a decision deferred to a subsequent ACD call.

EIP-4444 and EIP-7639 Rollout

Developers have agreed to drop pre-Merge block bodies and receipts data by May 1, 2025, as part of EIP 7639's rollout. This move aims to free substantial disk space on nodes. Coordination details for this EIP remain under discussion.

ACD Improvements and Holiday Schedule

Beiko proposed improvements to the ACD call process, including a new label system for EIPs. The holiday schedule was announced, with adjustments to upcoming call dates.

For more comprehensive insights, the detailed write-up is available on galaxy.com.