New Proposal Aims to Democratize Ethereum's Block Building Process

According to Cointelegraph, a new proposal has been introduced by an Ethereum researcher, aiming to decentralize the current block building process on the Ethereum network. The proposal, named 'Decentralized Random Block Proposal,' seeks to implement a shared random algorithm to democratize block proposing and eliminate Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) at the block level. This approach leverages Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) to potentially accelerate the propagation of transactions to network validators, as explained by the pseudonymous researcher Malik672 in a recent post. Malik672 highlighted that while Ethereum's proof-of-stake model and the proposer-builder separation feature have somewhat reduced the concentration of MEV, they have also led to increased centralization among builders and relays. Ethereum Foundation researcher Toni Wahrstätter noted that two block builders, Beaverbuild and Titan Builder, were responsible for constructing 88.7% of all Ethereum blocks in the first half of October. Although this figure has decreased to around 80%, it remains higher than desired by the Ethereum community. The proposed system aims to distribute block building across thousands of clients globally, thereby fully democratizing the process and preventing any single entity from dominating. Unlike the current Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS) method, which relies on a centralized builder pool, the new system uses BFT to mitigate mempool variance and ensure robustness. MEV, which involves profit-driven manipulation strategies like arbitrage and front-running, has been a concern for ordinary network users, as it undermines Ethereum's decentralized ethos. Under Malik672's proposal, all Ethereum clients would construct blocks using a cryptographically random algorithm, preventing the manipulation tactics that currently impact users. This solution aligns with Ethereum's trustless roots and remains compatible with Danksharding's blob requirements, a solution aimed at scaling Ethereum layer 2s. Additionally, the proposal could potentially reduce slot times from 12 seconds to approximately 6 to 8 seconds. This development comes as Ethereum developers and researchers have agreed to deploy upgrades at a faster pace, as announced on February 13, to accelerate Ethereum's technical roadmap. The ongoing efforts to enhance Ethereum's infrastructure reflect the community's commitment to maintaining its decentralized nature while improving efficiency and scalability.