ACDE #199: Will the Real Use Cases for BLS Precompiles Please Stand Up?

In episode 199 of the podcast, the Ethereum core developers' execution call confirmed the inclusion of EIP 7742 and debated the gradual increase of the block gas limit. They discussed the launch of Pectra Dev Net 4, which began on October 18, and highlighted ongoing debugging efforts. Barnabas from the Ethereum Foundation noted issues faced by the Aragon, EthereumJS, and Grandin clients, and mentioned that Dev Net 3 has been shut down in preparation for Dev Net 5.

A significant topic was the BLS 12381 precompile, which introduces a new cryptographic signature scheme for smart contract developers, enhancing efficiency in signature aggregation and zero-knowledge proof generation. Developer Kev expressed skepticism about the actual use cases for this EIP, questioning whether applications would transition from their current cryptographic schemes, indicating a need for further research to align the EIP with real developer needs.

The call also featured a debate on increasing the block gas limit, with EIP 7790 proposing to double it from 30 million to 60 million gas. Julio Robuffo introduced a mechanism for a gradual increase, allowing for better tracking of network health. His follow-up proposal, EIP 7783, sought feedback on implementing these changes post-Pectra upgrade, emphasizing that they could be rolled out asynchronously without requiring a hard fork.

The discussion sparked significant debate, with Julio defending his proposal based on feedback from client teams and conversations with Ethereum developers, including the NetherMine team and researcher Tony Warshatter. Warshatter argued that any increase should be paired with EIP 7623, which raises the cost of call data to limit block size and prevent excessively large blocks. Another developer emphasized the need for progress on history expiry to manage growing data storage requirements for nodes.

There was considerable disagreement on the extent of the increase, with suggestions ranging from a 25% to a 3X increase. Concerns were raised about the impact on home stakers using less powerful hardware, highlighting the need for careful consideration before implementing changes. Tim, who chaired the discussion, suggested further exploration on platforms like the Ethereum Magicians website, noting that the block gas limit is ultimately controlled by block proposers, not protocol developers. This means that if there is sufficient demand for scaling Ethereum, validators can reach consensus to increase the limit, similar to past practices before the merge.

The Ethereum community is currently focused on a roll-up centric roadmap, prioritizing layer 2 solutions for scaling rather than changes to the base layer. Tim's comments underscored the potential for validators to take initiative on block gas limit increases, which could enhance scalability while considering the needs of home stakers. Julio's arguments for a timely and gradual increase warrant serious consideration from the staking community, as protocol developers may struggle to reach consensus in the near future.