What Is an Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP)?
An Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) is a document used to describe standards and proposed changes for the Ethereum community.
It is a formal mechanism for proposing and discussing improvements to the Ethereum network, including client APIs, core protocol standards, code changes, and contract standards.
The Process of EIP Submission
EIPs can be submitted by any member of the Ethereum community who wishes to enforce change or introduce new features.
They go through a review, discussion, and acceptance process before being implemented.
There are different types of EIPs, each serving a specific purpose:
- The Standard Track: These are changes that impact all or most Ethereum implementations, including changes to the network protocol.
- Core: These changes require a consensus fork and often involve discussions regarding non-core development changes.
- Networking: This category includes improvements to network protocol specifications, such as the devp2p (EIP8) and the Ethereum Subprotocol.
- Interface: These EIPs focus on improvements in client standards and specifications, including API/RPC standards and specifications.
- ERC: ERC stands for Ethereum Request for Comment, and these EIPs refer to application-level standards and conventions. They cover areas like name registries and token standards.
- Meta: These EIPs propose changes to processes and parts other than the Ethereum protocol. They operate similarly to Standard Track EIPs but apply to different aspects.
- Informational: Informational EIPs provide guidelines for designing Ethereum but do not necessarily represent official Ethereum community recommendations. Users and implementers can choose to ignore informational EIPs.
Once an EIP is submitted, it goes through various stages:
- Draft: An EIP that is openly being considered and discussed within the community.
- Last Call: An EIP that has undergone initial consideration and is ready for review by the community.
- Final (Non-core): An EIP that has been in the Last Call stage for a minimum of two weeks and has addressed all the technical concerns raised during the review process.
- Final (Core): An EIP that has been approved by the Core development team or is intended to be implemented in a future hard fork.
- Deferred: An EIP that is not immediately adopted but is being considered for potential adoption in the future.
Enhancing Ethereum Together
Through the EIP process, the Ethereum community collaborates to propose, discuss, and implement improvements to the Ethereum ecosystem, fostering innovation and consensus among developers and users.