Ethereum has been facing persistent network congestion issues, leading to high transaction fees and delays. To address these challenges, the Ethereum Foundation and Vitalik Buterin are focusing on improving layer 1 performance.
Ethereum's Network Issues and the Need for Updates
Since 2021, the Ethereum network has regularly faced congestion issues, causing high transaction fees and slowdowns. These challenges have significantly increased competition from blockchains like Avalanche and Solana, which offer more scalable solutions. Despite the success of layer 2 solutions, such as Arbitrum and Optimism, the usability of layer 1 has diminished.
OptimumP2P: Innovations for Improving Node Communication
A major source of congestion lies in the inefficient communication between nodes. Currently, Ethereum nodes communicate via the Gossipsub protocol, which creates redundancy as nodes receive the same information multiple times. The new OptimumP2P system, developed in collaboration with MIT, proposes to send information in packets, allowing nodes to reconstruct data upon receiving enough packets.
Protocol Testing and Its Prospects
The OptimumP2P protocol is currently being tested by major Ethereum validators who control 14% of the network’s staking. Test results indicate that performance can increase tenfold, even with numerous messages transmitted across the network. This update could significantly enhance the performance of Ethereum’s layer 1 in the upcoming months.
With the implementation of OptimumP2P, Ethereum aims to improve its layer 1 and regain competitiveness, which may enhance the overall user experience on the network.
