Documentation for Ethereum execution clients #309
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| # Execution Client | ||
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| > **Execution clients**, formerly known as *eth1 clients*, are tasked with processing and broadcasting transactions and managing Ethereum's state. | ||
| They run the computations for each transaction using the [Ethereum Virtual Machine](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/evm/) to ensure that the rules of the protocol are followed. | ||
| Execution clients can be configured as archive nodes, which retain the entire history of the blockchain, or as full (pruned) nodes, which keep only the latest state and discard older data to save storage space. | ||
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| ## Overview Table | ||
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| | Client | Language | Developer | Status | | ||
| | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ------------------- | ----------- | | ||
| | [Besu](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu) | Java | Hyperledger | Production | | ||
| | [Erigon](https://github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon) | Go | Ledgerwatch | Production | | ||
| | [Geth](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum) | Go | Ethereum Foundation | Production | | ||
| | [Nethermind](https://github.com/NethermindEth/nethermind) | C# | Nethermind | Production | | ||
| | [Reth](https://github.com/paradigmxyz/reth) | Rust | Paradigm | Production | | ||
| | [Nimbus](https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-eth1) | Nim | Nimbus | Development | | ||
| | [Silkworm](https://github.com/erigontech/silkworm) | C++ | Erigon | Development | | ||
| | [JS Client](https://github.com/ethereumjs/ethereumjs-monorepo) | Typescript | Paradigm | Development | | ||
| | [Akula](https://github.com/akula-bft/akula) | Rust | Akula Developers | Deprecated | | ||
| | [Aleth](https://github.com/ethereum/aleth) | C++ | Aleth Developers | Deprecated | | ||
| | [Mana](https://github.com/mana-ethereum/mana) | Elixir | Mana Developers | Deprecated | | ||
| | [OpenEthereum](https://github.com/openethereum/parity-ethereum) | Rust | Parity | Deprecated | | ||
| | [Trinity](https://github.com/ethereum/trinity) | Python | OpenEthereum | Deprecated | | ||
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| ## Distribution | ||
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| The overwhelming majority of node operators are currently using Geth as an Execution Client. | ||
| In the interest of supporting the health of the Execution Layer (formerly ETH1), it is recommended to use different clients. | ||
| [Why?](https://clientdiversity.org/#why) | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. This can be directly in the text with link over [client diversity] or so. There is also a great ethereum.org page on client diversity |
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| ### Besu | ||
| Developed by the Hyperledger Foundation in Java, Besu (Hyperledger Besu) is distinguished for its enterprise-grade features and compatibility with various Hyperledger projects. | ||
| It supports both public and private networks such as Rinkeby, Ropsten, and Goerli, offering robust command-line tools and a JSON-RPC API. | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. all of these testnets are deprecated, it shouldnt even mention them :) I would update this and maybe remove the line about testnets altogether |
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| Noteworthy Features: | ||
| - [Private Networks](https://besu.hyperledger.org/private-networks/) | ||
| - [Pruning](https://besu.hyperledger.org/public-networks/how-to/bonsai-limit-trie-logs#prune-command-for-mainnet) | ||
| - [Monitoring](https://besu.hyperledger.org/private-networks/how-to/monitor) | ||
| - [Parallel Transaction Execution](https://besu.hyperledger.org/public-networks/concepts/parallel-transaction-execution) | ||
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| ### Erigon | ||
| Initially a fork of Geth (Go Ethereum), Erigon focuses on optimizing performance, fast synchronization capabilities, and reducing disk space usage. | ||
| Erigon's architecture allows it to complete a full archive node sync in under three days with less than 2 TB of data storage, making it ideal for resource-efficient node deployments. | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. the original name was turbo-geth, worth mentioning here |
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There was a problem hiding this comment. the 2tb is old information, now it's almost 3. Also the 3 days are subjective because it depends on the machine. In this part, I would highlight that erigon came up with a new generation of handling MPT archive which enables modern archive nodes to take much less data. With some links to resources on their approach |
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| Noteworthy Features: | ||
| - [Supported Networks](https://erigon.gitbook.io/erigon/basic-usage/supported-networks) | ||
| - [Pruning](https://erigon.gitbook.io/erigon/basic-usage/usage/type-of-node#full-node-or-pruned-node) | ||
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| ### Geth | ||
| As the official Go implementation of Ethereum, Geth (Go Ethereum) enjoys widespread adoption among developers and users alike. | ||
| It supports various node types (full, light, archive) and is renowned for its extensive toolset and community support. | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. it's called 'official' sometimes but I would avoid this term here, I think it doesnt really makes sense in ethereum context. But it could be mention it's one of the original implementation, therefore the oldest currently maintained EL |
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| Geth's flexibility in deployment—through package managers, Docker containers, or manual setup—ensures its versatility in diverse blockchain environments. | ||
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| Noteworthy Features: | ||
| - [Pruning](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/fundamentals/pruning) | ||
| - [Custom EVM Tracer](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/developers/evm-tracing/custom-tracer) | ||
| - [Monitoring Dashboards](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/monitoring/dashboards) | ||
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| ### Nethermind | ||
| Written in C# .NET, Nethermind is designed for stability and integration with existing tech infrastructures. | ||
| It offers optimized virtual machine performance, comprehensive analytics support via Prometheus/Grafana dashboards, and robust security features. | ||
| Nethermind is suitable for both private Ethereum networks and decentralized application (dApp) development, emphasizing data integrity and scalability. | ||
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| Noteworthy Features: | ||
| - [Private Networks](https://docs.nethermind.io/fundamentals/private-networks) | ||
| - [Prometheus and Grafana](https://docs.nethermind.io/monitoring/metrics/grafana-and-prometheus) | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. I don't know about metrics being a higlight here, every single client supports it There was a problem hiding this comment. they have plugin system, snap support, bunch of cool features |
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| ### Reth | ||
| Reth (Rust Ethereum) is a modular and efficient Ethereum client designed for user-friendliness and high performance. | ||
| It emphasizes community-driven development and is suitable for robust production environments. | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. here I would put emphasis on the performance and it's inspiration from erigon architecture |
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| Noteworthy Features: | ||
| - [Revm](https://bluealloy.github.io/revm/) | ||
| - [Prometheus and Grafana](https://reth.rs/run/observability.html) | ||
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| ### Nimbus | ||
| Nimbus focuses on efficiency and security as an ultra-lightweight Ethereum execution layer client. | ||
| It minimizes resource consumption while supporting Ethereum's execution layer functionalities and integrating with Fluffy (a Portal Network light client). | ||
| Nimbus offers enhanced memory savings and state synchronization mechanisms, ideal for resource-constrained environments. | ||
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| ### Silkworm | ||
| Silkworm is a C++ implementation of the Ethereum Execution Layer protocol, aiming to be the fastest Ethereum client. | ||
| It integrates the libmdbx database engine and emphasizes scalability and performance optimizations within the Erigon project (known as Erigon++). | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. is it aiming to be fastest? I think their sales pitch is modularity |
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| ### JS Client | ||
| The TypeScript-based JavaScript client by Paradigm, part of the EthereumJS monorepo, offers flexibility and ease of integration for Ethereum's execution layer functionalities. | ||
| It's designed to be JavaScript-centric, suitable for web and Node.js environments. | ||
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There was a problem hiding this comment. js client is not from paradigm lol. At least afaik? It was always developed by EF, led by Holger.. |
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| ## Additional resources | ||
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| - [ETH Docker](https://eth-docker.net/) | ||
| - [Ethernodes](https://ethernodes.org/) | ||
| - [Client Diverisity](https://clientdiversity.org/) | ||
| - [Run the majority client at your own peril!](https://dankradfeist.de/ethereum/2022/03/24/ | ||
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Maybe I would split the table here to have clear overview of current and historical clients. At first glance it just feels weird to have it all in one place but maybe it works just with Status column, I'll let others comment on this.
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Btw there is also a rust execution client in development by lambdaclass https://github.com/lambdaclass/ethereum_rust