Ethereum researchers test sub-second payload propagation

The proposal, currently in draft status, replaces the single execution_payload gossip topic with a segmented approach. By embedding a Merkle root in the builder’s execution bid, nodes can validate and forward individual payload segments before the entire message arrives. Simulations involving 500 nodes and home-builder bandwidth constraints showed that this segmented design significantly reduces latency, with median propagation dropping to roughly 0.75 seconds for a 1 MiB payload.

While the results are promising, they stem from a controlled simulation harness using Prysm and go-libp2p-pubsub code rather than Ethereum mainnet measurements. The research highlights a series of trade-offs, including increased control-message traffic and the technical challenge of managing duplicate data across the network. To address these, developers are exploring advanced strategies such as disciplined pulls and Reed-Solomon erasure coding, which could further stabilize performance even when network peers are unreliable or bandwidth is limited.

Ethereum developers are scheduled to discuss EIP-8411 for inclusion in the upcoming Hegotá upgrade during the All Core Developers Consensus call on September 17. As the network explores higher gas limits and increased Layer 1 capacity, faster payload delivery has become a priority. Although the prototype remains experimental, it offers a potential path to mitigate the propagation delays that accompany larger block data, provided the community approves the shift in networking architecture.