Ethereum Electra Upgrade: Here Are The 4 Code Changes Embedded

The next consensus layer-focused hardfork coming to Ethereum is the Electra upgrade and developers have been busy reinforcing the upgrade with certain EIPs that offer specific functions. The 4 key EIPs were teased by Galaxy Researcher Christine Kim.

Ethereum Electra Upgrade Sees Multiple Implementation

The Ethereum Electra protocol is billed to go live on the testnet very soon. From discussions held during the last All Core Developers Consensus (ACDC) bi-weekly meeting spearheaded by Ethereum Foundation (EF) Researcher Alex Stokes, Ethereum developers are integrating EIP 6110, EIP 7002, EIP 7251 and EIP 7549 into the Electra upgrade.

So far, these are the 4 code changes going into Electra ⚡️
-EIP 6110 (Supply validator deposits on chain)
-EIP 7002 (Execution layer triggerable exits)
-EIP 7251 (Increase the MAX_EFFECTIVE_BALANCE)
-EIP 7549 (Move committee index outside attestation) pic.twitter.com/XXfYkkvCO2

— Christine Kim (@christine_dkim) April 9, 2024

EIP 6110 which was created as far back as December 2022, is poised to supply validator deposits on-chain. According to the Ethereum Foundation (EF), “This EIP allows for an in-protocol mechanism of deposit processing on the Consensus Layer and eliminates the proposer voting mechanism utilized currently.” 

In the long run, the EIP 6110 will contribute to improving Ethereum’s security and stability by changing the way that the network processes its validators’ deposits.

EIP 7002 can also be referred to as the Execution layer triggerable exits. It would allow validators to trigger exits via their execution layer (0x01) withdrawal credentials. There are still considerations from developers to make minor adjustments to this EIP that will equally trigger a change in Engine API.

EIP 7251 is tagged “Increase the MAX_EFFECTIVE_BALANCE” as it aims to allow validators to have larger effective balances while maintaining the 32 ETH lower bound. Noteworthy, EIP 7002 is a prerequisite for this EIP, hence, there are speculations that the implementation of EIP 7002 and 7251 in the same upgrade will trigger some complexities.

Developer’s Concern Highlighted

For EIP 7251, Lighthouse developer “ethDreamer” coined two questions of concerns that would need to be addressed before the implementation. First, he is concerned about whether custom ceilings for partial withdrawals for validators with an effective balance greater than 32 ETH will be included.

Secondly, he wants to know if consolidation of validators as a CL or EL-initiated operation should be enabled. Answers to these questions are expected from the next Ethereum developers’ breakout meeting. 

EIP 7549 moves the committee index outside of the signed Attestation message. This is one of the most recently created EIPs. 

“This proposal aims to make Casper FFG clients more efficient by reducing the average number of pairings needed to verify consensus rules. While all types of clients can benefit from this EIP, ZK circuits proving Casper FFG consensus are likely to have the most impact,” a statement from EF detailed.

The Ethereum blockchain is undergoing intense evolution and Electra Upgrade is the next major after Dencun Upgrade which went live on the mainnet earlier this year.