Ethereum Weekly Digest, December 22, 2024

Eth News and Updates

Eth R&D protocol call (All Core Devs)

• Execution layer focused protocol call (ACDE #202):

  • Pectra upgrade

    • Mekong testnet: remains stable on the Pectra Devnet 4 specs

  • Pectra devnet-5 spec

    • Replace EIP-7742: plan for Devnet-6

    • BLS precompiles: gas repricing and removal of the single MUL precompile

    • EIP-7702: ChainID change to uint256

    • EIP-2935: Revert out-of-range blockhash calls and unify buffer length of system contract

  • EIP-4444 (history expiry): discussion that clients can stop providing history data, which may require a new version of eth/70

  • Gossip limit: Only minor calldata repricing in Pectra, broader solutions remain under discussion

  • EVM Resource Pricing Working Group: Systematically evaluate opcodes and precompiles for gas repricing, covering both short-term and long-term solutions.

Layer1

• FOCIL

  • Short-term spec stability maintained (no blobs or special incentives), full transactions used for inclusion lists.

  • Prototypes developed in parallel, discussed in Discord, updates merged into public spec and engine API.

  • Testing/DevNet expected early next year, experimental implementations done in free time.

• PeerDAS (EIP-7594)

  • Generally agreed to include PeerDAS in Fulu/Fusaka

  • Next Devnet is likely planned for early next year

• ePBS (EIP-7732)

  • Target the end of January for an interop run locally with more than one client.

• Multicall discussion

  • Need for the ability to merge simulation results with gas estimation to reduce network and node load

  • Take some time to evaluate how to implement

Layer 2

• Aztec Noir v1.0.0-beta.1: remove Schnorr and ec module from stdlib

• ZKsync Era v25.4.0: add support for custom genesis state, Support stable compiler for VM

Client Release

• Consensus Layer

  • teku v24.12.1: several bug fixes

  • Lighthouse v6.0.1: several bug fixes

  • Lodestar v1.24.0: using getBlobsV1 to import blobs locally from the execution layer

  • Prysm v5.2.0: enabled QUIC protocol by default, raising gas limit

• Execution Layer

  • Besu v24.12.2: hotfix

  • Erigon v3.0.0-alpha7: faster eth_getTransactionReceipt

EIPs/ERCs

• EIPs (Ethereum improvement proposals):

  • EIP-7843: SLOT precompile

• ERCs (application layer):

  • ERC-7844: Consolidated Dynamic Storage (CDS)

  • ERC-7845: Minimal Orchestrator RPC

  • ERC-7847: Social Media NFTs

  • ERC-7846: Wallet Connection API

For developers

• alloy v0.8.3: add serde for block

• odyssey v0.2.7: activate js-tracer

• semaphore v4.8.1: adding foundry template

• foundry forge-std v1.9.5: added broadcast retrieval, introduced mockCall overloads

Ecosystem

• ENS partnership with Linea to build the L2 Namechain

Discussion

• Sunscreen and Zama are in a dispute over intellectual property related to FHE. Zama accuses Sunscreen of using its "programmable bootstrapping" technology without authorization for commercial purposes. The dispute centers on the boundaries of encryption technology licensing and balancing intellectual property with open-source principles.

Research & Paper:

• The Role of Relays in Reorgs highlights that some relays underperform in regular auctions due to weak infrastructure or intentional latency but gain market share in reorg auctions as builders prioritize relays matching the proposer’s chain state over faster ones.

• MEV-Commit addresses delays, uncertainty, and reorganization risks in blockchain systems through insured commitments and preconfirmation mechanisms.

• A Pricing Model for Inclusion Preconfirmations explores the pricing of "inclusion preconfirmation," a type of preconfirmation that ensures a transaction is included in a block but does not guarantee its order or outcome.

• Serial Scammers and Attack of the Clones investigates how serial scammers organize and execute multiple Rug Pull schemes on DEXs.

• The three possible strategies for introducing post-quantum transaction signatures to Ethereum (Account Abstraction, Hard Fork Way, and Hybrid Approach) address the threat quantum computing poses to elliptic curve signatures.

Stats

• Fees (via ultrasound.money):

  • Gas: 3.8 to 113.8 gwei, 14.9 gwei average; zero net issuance at 24.0 gwei

  • 6.5k ETH net issuance this week

• ETHUSD: $3,115 – $4,078, currently $3,297, all time high $4,878

• ETHBTC: currently 0.035 (Flippening at ~0.164)

• L2 Total Value Locked: 13.93 M ETH, 2.8% in 7 days

• ETH ETF: $11.19k net inflow (December 16 – December 20)

Grant

• EF Next Billion Fellowship Applications opens for cohorts 5 & 6