On November 28, 2024, Ethereum’s core developers gathered virtually for the 146th All Core Developers Consensus (ACDC) conference, chaired by Alex Stokes, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation. According to galaxy.com, the bi-weekly meetings are essential to discuss and coordinate changes to Ethereum’s consensus layer, also known as the beacon chain.
Mekong River deposit processing bug
The meeting addressed the significant disruption caused by validator deposits on the Mekong testnet on November 25, 2024. The network has since stabilized, but the incident highlighted the need for enhanced testing of Pectra specifications. Prysm developer “Potuz” emphasized the need for more thorough testing, while Consensys researcher Mikhail Kalinin pointed out inconsistencies between client code and specifications.
Devnet-5 Specification
Preparation for Pectra Devnet 5 was the focus where four key issues were discussed: This included updates to the execution and consensus specifications, such as increased blob throughput in EIP 7691. Developers agreed to merge the necessary changes into Devnet 5 with the goal of improving testing and operational efficiency.
EIP 7691
Developers debated the merits of increasing blob throughput capacity, with some advocating a cautious approach. Despite various opinions, including opposition from Prysm developer “Potuz”, the consensus was towards advancing to a higher target/maximum blob count as suggested by Stokes in order to maintain Ethereum’s competitive advantage.
EIP 7623
The discussion also covered EIP 7623, which proposes to increase currency data costs to reduce Ethereum block sizes. Some developers, such as Geth’s “Lightclient”, opposed inclusion in Pectra due to readiness concerns, while others emphasized the importance placed on security. The discussion concluded with plans to revisit this issue in future discussions.
EIP 7251 and PeerDAS
Developers have addressed EIP 7251 regarding a potential exploit related to validator balance consolidation. The proposed fixes are in progress, with no objections to inclusion in Devnet 5. Additionally, updates on PeerDAS development were shared, which we plan to move forward with after finalizing the Pectra Devnet 5 specification.
future development
Thomas Thiery published EIP 7805, which aims to make Ethereum more censorship-resistant. The meeting concluded with plans to continue discussions on improving the ACD currency process in the next session to ensure the continued development and enhanced security of Ethereum.
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