--- tags: newineth2 description: The latest update on Ethereum 2.0 development image: https://benjaminion.xyz/f/favicon-96x96.png GA: UA-129359374-2 --- <style> a {text-decoration: underline;} a {color: #0000ee;} a:visited {color: #551a8b;} </style> # What's New in Eth2 - 3 Apr 2020 ![My avatar](https://benjaminion.xyz/f/ms-icon-144x144.png =32x32) Ben Edgington ([PegaSys](https://pegasys.tech/), [ConsenSys](https://consensys.net/) — but views expressed are all my own) Edition 39 at [eth2.news](https://eth2.news/) :::info Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to my [GitCoin Grant](https://gitcoin.co/grants/551/the-ethereum-20-annotated-specification)! :heart: The current CLR matching round closes on Tuesday. If anyone else would like to add some support, currently each 1 DAI contribution is showing as generating a 22 DAI match :grin: ::: ## Top picks Joseph Chow is this week's winner with [Ethereum 2020: A Roadmap and Outlook](https://ethos.dev/ethereum-2020-roadmap/), a nice explainer of the personal roadmap that Vitalik published a couple of weeks ago. And of course this section would not be complete without Danny Ryan's latest [eth2 quick update no. 10](https://blog.ethereum.org/2020/03/31/eth2-quick-update-no-10/). ### Survey of the week If you haven't yet taken the [ETHGlobal Developer Survey](https://ethglobal.typeform.com/to/RxHlK8), Trent would [love you to do so](https://twitter.com/ETHGlobal/status/1243205570208751617). (This survey has been around for a while, but is still open). ## Phase 0: The beacon chain Danny Ryan induced mild panic among some devs this week with news of a new major spec update [Crypto Bluebird](https://github.com/ethereum/eth2.0-specs/releases/tag/v0.4.1). Come on, every day seems the same at the moment: how am I supposed to know what date it is? :man-facepalming: Anyway, this one will stand the test of time, and there are a few gems in there we should definitely adopt. Meanwhile, back in reality, spec version [0.11.1](https://github.com/ethereum/eth2.0-specs/releases/tag/v0.11.1) was released, with fixes for a couple of bugs that had crept into the state transition, and some networking improvements. This is now the target for joint testnets. (I know, we keep saying this, but really: this is _the one_). Empireventures published a very interesting and insightful [report](https://medium.com/empireventures/eth2uxreport-858c73ca1f53) on their research around Eth2 user experience. There's a lot of good general background material in there, as well as specific outcomes and recommendations. It's clear that there remains much unclarity about what staking on Eth2 will involve. I expect all of this to become much, much clearer over the next couple of months as we exercise the testnets and get nearer to the go-live date. On that note, I was asked this week if I could provide some comparison between the various client implementations (something the report calls for as well). I'm not planning to do this, at least not yet. For one thing, being product owner for one of the clients, I am not entirely unbiased. For this reason, I've always tried to be fairly client-neutral in this place[^fn1]. A more interesting reason is that we'll very soon be embarking on multi-client testnets, at which point the clients can be evaluated on a common and fair basis. ### Testing The [Eth2 Phase 0 bug bounty](https://notes.ethereum.org/@djrtwo/phase0-bounty) is on again! Big cash awards are on offer, so get hunting! Congratulations to the three who have already claimed bounties :tada: To help with your bug hunting, the Eth2 spec is now [available on pypi](https://pypi.org/project/eth2spec/), the Python package index. Just [`pip install eth2spec`](https://twitter.com/protolambda/status/1243916242643226631). The [Phase 0 specification audit](https://leastauthority.com/blog/ethereum-2-0-specifications/) by Least Authority is now available. Nothing very unexpected, I think: no issues with the state transition were found, only some challenges with the networking protocols, including a bunch issues we've been wrestling with for a while such as single secret leader election (nobody knows how to do this well). ### Testnets Prysmatic Labs is planning to [restart their testnet](https://medium.com/prysmatic-labs/eth-2-0-dev-update-47-multiclient-target-testnet-restart-security-audit-rfp-9c6cf095802c) on the latest spec version, after an incredibly successful 3 months of running the Sapphire testnet. ## Phase 1.5: Eth1x64 A new initiative has emerged in the last couple of weeks that is becoming known as [Eth1x64](https://ethresear.ch/t/the-eth1x64-experiment/7195?u=benjaminion). This would install (a stateless version of?) the current Eth1 EVM on all 64 shards of Eth2. I previously [flagged up](https://hackmd.io/@benjaminion/wnie2_200320#The-Great-Explainers) some concerns about this direction of travel. Well, I've since thought it over, and talked to a few people. And I still have big concerns. Yes, the plan is nice and clean from engineering and status-quo-for-dapp-developers points of view. But my concern is exactly what Alex mentions in his [proposal](https://ethresear.ch/t/the-eth1x64-experiment/7195?u=benjaminion): >Historically there has been a reluctance to introduce sizeable changes to the EVM. This has to be considered and attempt must be made to minimize changes. If we simply fill up Eth2 with Eth1, I fear that we will end up hampering innovation for years. Everything will become bogged-down, just as it is on Eth1 today. We will never be able to deliver anything in the bottom half of [Vitalik's diagram](https://benjaminion.xyz/images/Eth2FlowChart_200318.jpg). We have an opportunity to make Eth2 truly next-generation, and I'm very worried about discarding that by choosing to be overly pragmatic now. ## Explainers This section is becoming a regular feature. Here are a couple of very nice explainers on how Eth2 comes to consensus on the network state: - From Carl Beekhuizen, Validated, staking on eth2: #3 - [Sharding Consensus](https://blog.ethereum.org/2020/03/27/sharding-consensus/). - And a [Casper FFG Explainer](https://www.adiasg.me/2020/03/31/casper-ffg-explainer.html) by Aditya Asgaonkar. As seen at the top, don't miss Joseph Chow's [Ethereum 2020: A Roadmap and Outlook](https://ethos.dev/ethereum-2020-roadmap/), a nice review of the personal roadmap that Vitalik published a couple of weeks ago. Alex Stokes has written up a good case for implementing EIP 2537[^fn3] in [What eth2 needs from eth1 over the next six months](https://medium.com/@ralexstokes/what-eth2-needs-from-eth1-over-the-next-six-months-86b01863746). This is the EIP that would implement BLS12-381 elliptic curve operations as a precompile on Eth1. Particular benefits relevant to Eth2 would be the ability to check validator deposits more thoroughly, and allowing Eth1 to be a light client of Eth2. ## Research The new [polynomial commitments](https://ethresear.ch/t/using-polynomial-commitments-to-replace-state-roots/7095?u=benjaminion) thing for state storage is getting [super hot](https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1237736821200695297)[^fn2]. Dankrad has proposals for [Hashmap-based polynomial commitments for state](https://ethresear.ch/t/hashmap-based-polynomial-commitments-for-state/7186?u=benjaminion) and a newer [Multi-layer hashmaps for state storage](https://ethresear.ch/t/multi-layer-hashmaps-for-state-storage/7211?u=benjaminion) that [improves on](https://ethresear.ch/t/multi-layer-hashmaps-for-state-storage/7211/2?u=benjaminion) Vitalik's proposal. Both Dankrad and Vitalik appeared last week on the [ZK Study Club](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fti600ag_I8) to discuss all this. To my untutored mind the following also looks relevant to the whole polynomial commitments thing: [Bilinear Accumulators for Cryptocurrency Enthusiasts](https://decentralizedthoughts.github.io/2020-04-02-bilinear-accumulators-for-cryptocurrency/), an explainer by Alin Tomescu on [Decentralized Thoughts](https://decentralizedthoughts.github.io/). This [Survey of proposals to reduce block witness size](https://ethresear.ch/t/survey-of-proposals-to-reduce-block-witness-size/7173?u=benjaminion) is also useful, because this is the problem that we're aiming to solve with the schemes above. Mikerah's back! :wave: And she wants to [talk validator privacy](https://twitter.com/badcryptobitch/status/1245069774754807814) with you. She also has a new proposal [Exploring a hybrid networking architecture for improved validator privacy in ETH2.0](https://ethresear.ch/t/exploring-a-hybrid-networking-architecture-for-improved-validator-privacy-in-eth2-0/7207?u=benjaminion). Finally, an [outline for](https://ethresear.ch/t/trustless-staking-pools-with-a-consensus-layer-and-slashed-pool-participant-replacement/7198?u=benjaminion) Trustless staking pools with a consensus layer and slashed pool participant replacement. Eth2 design (such as adopting BLS signatures) has always had in mind the goal of enabling trustless staking pools to form. ## Regular Calls ### Implementers Call #36 took place on the 26th of March. * [Agenda](https://github.com/ethereum/eth2.0-pm/issues/135) * [Video](https://youtu.be/Vn1oHH55yPk?t=254) * My [quick notes](https://hackmd.io/@benjaminion/BkdbG45II) at the time. The fuller notes are still in [draft form](https://github.com/ethereum/eth2.0-pm/blob/13c39def022c21e203d98daeb97dbf80f57328aa/eth2.0-implementers-calls/Call_036.md) in [a PR](https://github.com/ethereum/eth2.0-pm/pull/139). The main interesting news items are project management oriented. First, Afri Schoeden is volunteering to coordinate joint testnets and is busy getting to work :tada:. Second, a lot of conversations around Eth1.x and Eth2 are now consolidated onto a [single Discord server](https://discordapp.com/channels/595666850260713488) to facilitate convergence and cooperation, which is great. ([Invitation link](https://discord.gg/zyZXUN7)). ### Networking Networking call #4 took place on the 25th of March, and I took [some notes](https://hackmd.io/@benjaminion/rkEn7C_88). ### Stateless Ethereum (Eth1.x) The latest Eth1.x blog post from Griffin Ichiba Hotchkiss, [The Updated Stateless Tech Tree](https://blog.ethereum.org/2020/04/02/eth1x-stateless-tech-tree/), is a reworking of the dependency tree for the R&D necessary to deliver stateless Ethereum, in the light of recent progress and planning. Here's a [digest](https://ethresear.ch/t/stateless-ethereum-march-25th-call-digest/7202?u=benjaminion) of Stateless Ethereum Call #5 from March 25th. There's also a [transcript](https://notes.ethereum.org/@afhGjrKfTKmksTOtqhB9RQ/HkIjiJKUL) (machine transcribed, I think). ## In other news - Client updates from [Nimbus](https://our.status.im/nimbus-march-update/), [Lighthouse](https://lighthouse.sigmaprime.io/update-23.html), and [Prysm](https://medium.com/prysmatic-labs/eth-2-0-dev-update-47-multiclient-target-testnet-restart-security-audit-rfp-9c6cf095802c). - Last time, we highlighted Gitcoin Media's [Eth2 playlist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=td750o3xf8k&list=PLvTrX8LNPbPkOOTmVqjljLs2vk5-YZwLG). It's now also available in [article form](https://gitcoin.co/blog/eth-2-0-qa-with-key-developers/). - Prysmatic Labs has an RFP out for [a security audit](https://medium.com/prysmatic-labs/prysm-security-rfp-4dee848736c1) of the Prysm client codebase. - Last year, Justin Drake did an excellent [Whiteboard session](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S262StTwkmo&t=13s) with Alex Skidanov of the NEAR Protocol. Now the roles are reversed, and in [a new episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xpOUqdoyp0), Alex explains to Justin how NEAR works, and how it differs from Eth2. Eth2 and NEAR have very much developed in parallel, and it has led to interesting sets of common features and differences. - [Ethereum on ARM](https://twitter.com/EthereumOnARM) has got a Prysm node [running on ARM 64](https://twitter.com/EthereumOnARM/status/1244211895424385026). (Oh wow, they've also got one of our Besu Eth1 clients [running on a NanoPC-T4](https://twitter.com/EthereumOnARM/status/1245652892079386625) - these guys rock!) ## And finally... Did I mention the [Gitcoin Grants](https://gitcoin.co/grants/551/the-ethereum-20-annotated-specification)? :innocent: * * * [![[Twitter]](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/img/twitter.svg =40x40)](https://twitter.com/benjaminion_xyz) Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/benjaminion_xyz) to hear when the next edition is out 🙌. [![[RSS]](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/img/rss.svg =32x32)](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/rss_feed.xml) We also have an [RSS feed](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/rss_feed.xml). [^fn1]: At some point I shall shamelessly shill [Teku](https://github.com/pegasyseng/teku), but not just yet :wink: [^fn2]: No, that meme never gets tired [^fn3]: EIP-2537 was authored by Alex Vlasov, now of PegaSys. That makes no fewer than four different Alexes mentioned in this edition. See if you can find them all :slightly_smiling_face: