eth2.0-specs/specs/merge/beacon-chain.md

7.3 KiB

Ethereum 2.0 The Merge

Warning: This document is currently based on Phase 0 but will be rebased to Altair once the latter is shipped.

Notice: This document is a work-in-progress for researchers and implementers.

Table of contents

Introduction

This is a patch implementing the executable beacon chain proposal. It enshrines transaction execution and validity as a first class citizen at the core of the beacon chain.

Custom types

We define the following Python custom types for type hinting and readability:

Name SSZ equivalent Description
OpaqueTransaction ByteList[MAX_BYTES_PER_OPAQUE_TRANSACTION] a byte-list containing a single typed transaction envelope structured as TransactionType || TransactionPayload
Hash32 Bytes32 a 256-bit hash

Constants

Transition

Name Value
TRANSITION_TOTAL_DIFFICULTY TBD

Execution

Name Value
MAX_BYTES_PER_OPAQUE_TRANSACTION uint64(2**20) (= 1,048,576)
MAX_APPLICATION_TRANSACTIONS uint64(2**14) (= 16,384)
BYTES_PER_LOGS_BLOOM uint64(2**8) (= 256)

Containers

Extended containers

Note: Extended SSZ containers inherit all fields from the parent in the original order and append any additional fields to the end.

BeaconBlockBody

Note: BeaconBlockBody fields remain unchanged other than the addition of execution_payload.

class BeaconBlockBody(phase0.BeaconBlockBody):
    execution_payload: ExecutionPayload  # [New in Merge]

BeaconState

Note: BeaconState fields remain unchanged other than addition of latest_execution_payload_header.

class BeaconState(phase0.BeaconState):
    # Execution-layer
    latest_execution_payload_header: ExecutionPayloadHeader  # [New in Merge]

New containers

ExecutionPayload

The execution payload included in a BeaconBlockBody.

class ExecutionPayload(Container):
    block_hash: Hash32  # Hash of execution block
    parent_hash: Hash32
    coinbase: Bytes20
    state_root: Bytes32
    number: uint64
    gas_limit: uint64
    gas_used: uint64
    receipt_root: Bytes32
    logs_bloom: ByteVector[BYTES_PER_LOGS_BLOOM]
    transactions: List[OpaqueTransaction, MAX_APPLICATION_TRANSACTIONS]

ExecutionPayloadHeader

The execution payload header included in a BeaconState.

Note: Holds execution payload data without transaction bodies.

class ExecutionPayloadHeader(Container):
    block_hash: Hash32  # Hash of execution block
    parent_hash: Hash32
    coinbase: Bytes20
    state_root: Bytes32
    number: uint64
    gas_limit: uint64
    gas_used: uint64
    receipt_root: Bytes32
    logs_bloom: ByteVector[BYTES_PER_LOGS_BLOOM]
    transactions_root: Root

Helper functions

Misc

is_transition_completed

def is_transition_completed(state: BeaconState) -> boolean:
    return state.latest_execution_payload_header != ExecutionPayloadHeader()

is_transition_block

def is_transition_block(state: BeaconState, block_body: BeaconBlockBody) -> boolean:
    return not is_transition_completed(state) and block_body.execution_payload != ExecutionPayload()

compute_time_at_slot

def compute_time_at_slot(state: BeaconState, slot: Slot) -> uint64:
    slots_since_genesis = slot - GENESIS_SLOT
    return uint64(state.genesis_time + slots_since_genesis * SECONDS_PER_SLOT)

Block processing

def process_block(state: BeaconState, block: BeaconBlock) -> None:
    process_block_header(state, block)
    process_randao(state, block.body)
    process_eth1_data(state, block.body)
    process_operations(state, block.body)
    process_execution_payload(state, block.body)  # [New in Merge]

Execution payload processing

get_execution_state

Note: ExecutionState class is an abstract class representing Ethereum execution state.

Let get_execution_state(execution_state_root: Bytes32) -> ExecutionState be the function that given the root hash returns a copy of Ethereum execution state. The body of the function is implementation dependent.

execution_state_transition

Let execution_state_transition(execution_state: ExecutionState, execution_payload: ExecutionPayload, timestamp: uint64) -> None be the transition function of Ethereum execution state. The body of the function is implementation dependent.

Note: execution_state_transition must throw AssertionError if either the transition itself or one of the pre or post conditions has failed.

process_execution_payload
def process_execution_payload(state: BeaconState, body: BeaconBlockBody) -> None:
    """
    Note: This function is designed to be able to be run in parallel with the other `process_block` sub-functions
    """
    # Pre-merge, skip processing
    if not is_transition_completed(state) and not is_transition_block(state, body):
        return

    execution_payload = body.execution_payload

    if is_transition_completed(state):
        assert execution_payload.parent_hash == state.latest_execution_payload_header.block_hash
        assert execution_payload.number == state.latest_execution_payload_header.number + 1

    timestamp = compute_time_at_slot(state, state.slot)
    execution_state = get_execution_state(state.latest_execution_payload_header.state_root)
    execution_state_transition(execution_state, body.execution_payload, timestamp)

    state.latest_execution_payload_header = ExecutionPayloadHeader(
        block_hash=execution_payload.block_hash,
        parent_hash=execution_payload.parent_hash,
        coinbase=execution_payload.coinbase,
        state_root=execution_payload.state_root,
        number=execution_payload.number,
        gas_limit=execution_payload.gas_limit,
        gas_used=execution_payload.gas_used,
        receipt_root=execution_payload.receipt_root,
        logs_bloom=execution_payload.logs_bloom,
        transactions_root=hash_tree_root(execution_payload.transactions),
    )