Ethereum (ETH) devs dive into EIP 7702 & Pectra Devnet 1 🚀

Virtual Ethereum Developer Meeting Recap

On June 20, 2024, Ethereum protocol developers gathered virtually for the All Core Developers Execution (ACDE) Call #190. Chaired by Ethereum Foundation (EF) Protocol Support Lead Tim Beiko, the bi-weekly meeting serves as a platform for developers to discuss and coordinate changes to Ethereum’s execution layer (EL).

Overview of the Meeting Discussions

Developers provided updates on various projects including Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) 7251 and 7702, Ethereum Virtual Object Format (EOF), and PeerDAS.
A new template for EIP discussion threads was introduced by Beiko, and EF Developer Operations Engineer Parithosh Jayanthi highlighted a new GitHub page for Ethereum mainnet and testnet configurations called “eth-clients.”

Pectra Devnet 1 Progress

The call began with a discussion on Pectra Devnet 1, the upcoming dedicated testnet for the Pectra upgrade. Representatives from major Ethereum EL client teams shared their progress:

Besu: A first version is ready, though some tests are missing, and there are questions about gas pricing operations.
Nethermind: Currently reviewing their implementation, merging code changes, and writing test cases.
Erigon: Draft implementation of EIP 7702 is ready, and the team is reviewing the latest changes to EIP 7251.
Reth: Implementation should be completed before the next ACDE call.
EthereumJS: Working on EIP 7702 implementation, expected to be ready in a week.
Geth: Also working on EIP 7702 implementation.

Beiko confirmed that EOF would not be tested on Devnet 1, advising teams to rebase their work on the latest Pectra specifications instead of the finalized Deneb ones. EF Developer Operations Engineer Barnabas Busa noted that this could complicate debugging.

Updates on EIP 7702 Implementation

The implementation of EIP 7702 in Devnet 1 was a focal point. A pseudonymous Geth developer named “Lightclient” proposed changes to support transaction authorization revocations, sparking a debate on the call. While some developers preferred the current version, Lightclient argued that the new design would enhance revocability without sacrificing existing use cases. Beiko suggested organizing another breakout call to finalize the design.

Besu developer Daniel Lehrner questioned the wisdom of implementing EIP 7702 in Devnet 1 if it might change for Devnet 2. However, Richard Meissner, co-founder of the crypto wallet Safe, noted that having some version of EIP 7702 on a testnet would be beneficial for wallet teams.

Updates on EOF

Regarding EOF, Busa mentioned that EOF implementations would be tested after other Pectra code changes. Two EL client teams, Besu and Reth, have implemented all EOF EIPs, while others are still working on them. Additional test cases simulating Ethereum blocks with EOF transactions are being developed.

PeerDAS Development Updates

Busa provided a quick update on PeerDAS, stating that the next PeerDAS Devnet should be operational within the next two weeks. Unlike Pectra, PeerDAS will be developed on top of finalized Dencun specifications.

Important Announcements

Beiko proposed a new template for EIP authors to improve the quality of EIP reviews. Jayanthi also highlighted the “eth-clients” GitHub page, which contains resources for Ethereum developers and is maintained by representatives from all CL client teams. He called for volunteers from EL client teams to help maintain the page.

Beiko announced that he would not be hosting the next ACDE call, scheduled for July 4, a U.S. holiday. EF Researcher Alex Stokes will chair the call in his place.