Week in Ethereum News, July 1, 2023

Eth News and Links

Dencun (Cancun + Deneb) upgrade

• Latest all core devs – consensus (ACDC) call video. Notes from Christine Kim:

  • Deneb upgrade Engine API changes: deprecate Merge config exchange and proposed flag for EL to suggest local block building

  • EIP7251 (increase max effective balance) discussion

  • E-star name upgrade candidate for inclusion: EIP7002 (EL triggerable exits)

• EIP4844:

  • EIP4844 devnet 7 launched (same spec as devnet 6)

  • Latest EIP4844 implementer call video. Notes from Terence. Devnet 8 should include Dencun EIPs

• Execution-spec-tests v1.0.0: upgraded to PyTest, EIP4844 tests

Layer 1

• Holešky testnet (Goerli successor) coordination call notes: 1.7M validators planned, with 800k run by client teams, genesis planned for September 15 (Merge day)

• MEV-Boost v1.6: additional data availability and logging improvements

• Proposal to remove RIPEMD-160 & blake2f precompiles

• Understanding enshrined PBS

Client releases

• Consensus layer:

  • Lodestar v1.9.1: patch for peering/attestation issues & logging UX

  • Nimbus v23.6.1: database pruning performance improvement for history prior to April 2021

• Execution layer:

  • Besu v23.4.4: new flat database improves block processing time & attestation performance, BlobDB for non-state blockchain data improves sync time & disk IO

Research

• BaseSAP: stealth address protocol, extendable for particular cryptographic schemes

EIPs/Standards

• EIPs:

  • EIP7251: Increase the MAX_EFFECTIVE_BALANCE

• ERCs (application layer):

  • ERC7229: Minimal upgradable proxy contract

  • ERC7231: Identity aggregated NFT

  • ERC7246: Encumber (ERC20 extension)

  • ERC7253: Universal wallet uplink

  • ERC7254: Token revenue sharing

Stuff for developers

• Remix v0.34.0: EVM version label, adds SolHint linter to Solidity analyzers, Etherscan contract verification adds L2 support, constructor arguments & proxy support

• Foundry:

  • ForGePT: trained on Foundry book & Telegram support channel, OpenAI API key required

• Solidity events: guide to logging and using web3.js to retrieve/listen 

• Function Requirements-Effects-Interactions + Protocol Invariants (FREI-PI) pattern

• Viem v1.2: extend a client with custom actions

• Raw transaction signing script using ethers.js

• Overview of Python ecosystem: web3.py, py-evm, eth-tester, Ape, Woke, Vyper & Titanoboa

• Noble-ciphers: Salsa20, ChaCha, Poly1305 & AES-SIV in JavaScript, no dependencies

• Slither v0.9.4 & v0.9.5 patch: new detectors: cache-array-length, encode-packed-collision & incorrect-using-for; new printer: lines of code; adds interface generator and support for custom storage layouts

• RareSkills: Tornado Cash code base explainer

• CTF: Decently Safe DeFi, 4 challenges, uses Foundry

• E2PG: Ethereum to Postgres indexer

Security

• Themis (lending) on Arbitrum $370k exploit via oracle manipulation

Ecosystem

• EF academic grant recipients: 43 projects share $2 million in funding

• ETHGlobal Waterloo hackathon finalists & videos

Notable at app layer

• USDC Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) live on mainnet & Arbitrum

• The Graph served 1 trillion queries

• Mirror Writing NFTs v2: read post in NFT and open editions

• Diva (DVT liquid staking) DAO airdrop claimable by stakers, non-transferable so presumably no taxes incurred, frontend blocks US/Canada

• CLRFund round 9 live on Arbitrum, contribute to public goods

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Job Listings

• Devconnect Istanbul: Production Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator

• Solidity team need a highly skilled Developer Advocate

Job listings: $600 for four issues (75 character limit), payable to abcoathup.eth.  Questions? abcoathup at-gmail

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Regulation/business/tokens

• UK Financial Services & Markets act enables regulation of crypto

• HSBC Hong Kong allows customers to buy/sell Ether ETF

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Permalink for this week’s issue: https://weekinethereumnews.com/week-in-ethereum-news-july-1-2023

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Upcoming Dates of Note

(new/changes in bold)

• Jul 5-9 – ETHBarcelona conference & hackathon

• Jul 17 – CLRFund round 9 ends

• Jul 17-20 – EthCC (Paris)

• Jul 20–23 – Pragma Paris & ETHGlobal Paris hackathon

• Aug 11-13 – ETHMunich hackathon

• Aug 15-16 – ETHToronto & ETHWomen

• Aug 16-19 – Ethereum Argentina (Buenos Aires)

• Aug 28-30 – Science of Blockchain Conference (Stanford University)

• Aug 31 – Sep 3 – ETHWarsaw conference & hackathon

• Sep 1-3 – Ethcon Korea hackathon

• Sep 10-12 – Ethereum Singapore hackathon & conference

• Sep 11-13 – DappCon (Berlin)

• Sep 15 – Protocol Berg (Berlin)

• Sep 15-17 – ETHChicago conference & hackathon

• Sep 18-21 – ETH Montréal conference & hackathon

• Sep 22–24 – ETHGlobal New York

• Oct 5-6 – ETHMilan conference

• Oct 6-8 – ETHRome hackathon

• Oct 6–27 – ETHOnline (ETHGlobal) virtual

• Oct 13–15 – Ethereum Kuala Lumpur conference & hackathon

• Oct 27–29 – ETH Miami festival & hackathon

• Oct 31 – Road to Devcon grants application deadline

• Nov 3-5 – ETH Lisbon hackathon

• Nov 3-5 – ETHBrno

• Nov 13-19 – Devconnect (Istanbul)

• Nov 17-19 – ETHGlobal Istanbul

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