Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, discusses the importance of network neutrality and the proposed fork-choice enforced inclusion lists (FOCIL).
Vitalik Buterin's Statements on FOCIL
Buterin emphasized that Ethereum's neutrality is crucial and should be supported by multiple measures to avoid infringement. He described FOCIL as a way to expand the number of proposers from one to 17, where one of them will have the privilege to modify the order of transactions. He stated that transactions from all 17 proposers must be included, ensuring that the other 16 can operate with a lighter load while fulfilling validation roles.
Critique and Concerns from Ameen Soleimani
Ameen Soleimani, co-founder of Reflexer Labs, expressed skepticism about the FOCIL proposal, believing it creates significant problems. In his view, Ethereum's current censorship resistance model has been successful by allowing stakers to choose which transactions to include in advance. He argues that even if 99% of nodes decide to censor transactions from sanctioned addresses, those transactions will still go through, albeit with delays. Soleimani warns that FOCIL may force validators to include transactions from sanctioned addresses, leading to legal liability.
The Future of Ethereum and Neutrality
Buterin views FOCIL as a mechanism that could significantly improve Ethereum's neutrality, especially amid increasing staking centralization. He underscores that one of the principal aims of FOCIL is to prevent block builders from having veto power over transaction inclusion. Conversely, Soleimani cautions against the risks and suggests exploring alternative methods to enhance censorship resistance without exposing validators to additional legal risks.
The debate between Buterin and Soleimani highlights the importance of discussing Ethereum's neutrality aspects. Maintaining a balance between innovation and protecting validators' rights is key to the network's sustainable future.
