Ethereum Developers Make Last-Minute Change to Cancun Upgrade To Address Imminent Validator Set Size Issues
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Ethereum developers made a last-minute decision to include a code change in the Cancun/Deneb upgrade to address the issue of validator set size growth. This sparked some controversy due to the short timeframe.
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During testing of the Holesky testnet, developers noticed issues with transaction finality at 2.1 million validators. This is concerning as Ethereum's mainnet validator set may exceed 1 million by end of 2022.
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The newly added EIP 7514 caps validator growth, buying developers a few more months before the validator set exceeds the largest testnet size. However, this is a short-term solution.
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Longer term solutions like adjusting validator economics and monetary policy are being explored. The Ethereum community should engage in discussions about these more impactful changes.
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Rather than oppose the urgent upgrade, the community should push for its inclusion since the validator growth issue is real and serious. More education is needed on potential long-term solutions.