ETHEREUM blocks arrive up to 3.5 times faster with new network technology.
Ethereum developers are finding new ways to improve network performance without changing the blockchain's consensus rules.
And one of these technologies is already running on the mainnet.
Meet MUMP2P.
Developed by OPTIMUM, the protocol is designed to speed up how Ethereum blocks and validation messages travel across the network.
According to a new report on November 10, Optimum says its technology delivers blocks up to 3.5 times faster in some benchmarks.
The system has been active since October 20, and adoption among Ethereum developers is growing.
As of November 3, Optimum reported that participating validators represented approximately 7.8% of all ETH employed.
But what exactly makes the system unique?
Ethereum traditionally distributes information using a peer-to-peer network protocol called GOSSIPSUB.
Nodes receive blockchain messages and forward them to other nodes.
This works, but can produce duplicate transfers and variable delivery times under different network conditions.
Optimum uses RANDOM LINEAR NETWORK CODING, or RLNC.
Instead of simply transferring plain copies of blockchain data, the system transmits coded combinations that receiving nodes can use to reconstruct the original information.
The goal is to provide data more efficiently and consistently.
And the early results are interesting.
Optimum reports block delivery improvements of about 2x to 4x in its measurements, with significantly lower variability in arrival times.
In one analysis covering 50,292 Ethereum slots, the company measured an average delivery advantage of 335 MILLISECONDS.
Why does it matter?
Validators need to receive proposed blocks quickly enough to validate and attest to them.
Faster delivery can reduce network delays and give verifiers more processing time.
It could also help support future Ethereum improvements that include larger blocks or shorter slots.