Ethereum Validators Test OptimumP2P for 10x Latency Reduction

Major Ethereum validators, controlling a significant share of the network's stake, have begun testing OptimumP2P, a high-performance memory layer designed to address some of the network's limitations through its networking stack. The validators participating in the testnet for OptimumP2P include Kiln, P2P.org, Everstake, Blockdaemon, Infstones, Luganodes, and Ebunker. This initiative introduces a novel application of MIT-developed technology for Ethereum.

The networking layer of Ethereum relies largely on traditional gossip approaches, which use a decentralized approach to propagate messages among nodes. This process involves a node sending data to a few connected peers, who then relay it to others, continuing until the message reaches the entire network. A careful trade-off between these two effects lies at the heart of traditional gossip algorithms.

Despite ongoing improvements to its execution and consensus layers, Ethereum faces a constraint and bottleneck: its networking layer. The way data is propagated between nodes introduces latency and bandwidth waste, especially as data sizes grow. Currently, Ethereum shares data across nodes using Gossipsub, a protocol built on top of libp2p. However, this system sends the same message to many nodes multiple times, leading to inefficiencies and slower propagation.

OptimumP2P aims to fix these constraints by making nodes gossip algebraic equations rather than plain old gossip. The equations mean that only new information is gossiped, in the form of equations. Optimum utilizes a networking technology called Random Linear Network Coding, which combines multiple pieces of data into encoded packets. Each packet contains just enough information so that, once a sufficient number of unique packets are received, the original data can be reconstructed, even if some packets are missing.

Ask Aime: Will OptimismP2P's high-performance memory layer revamp Ethereum's networking stack and enhance its efficiency?

Initial testing reveals substantial performance improvements over the current system. Results show 10 times lower latency under high-traffic conditions, stable performance with messages up to 10MB versus Gossipsub's 4MB limitation, and zero message loss under stress scenarios. Combined, validators testing for OptimumP2P represent at least 14% of the total staking share across Ethereum.

Optimum plans to deploy OptimumP2P on Ethereum's Hoodi testnet this summer, with potential expansion to other Layer 1 blockchains following initial implementation. This development is a significant step towards addressing Ethereum's networking bottlenecks and improving overall network efficiency.