Ethereum

2024

Foundation

Read

<div class="cryptonews">
 <p class="is-style-lead">Ethereum infrastructure company Nethermind recently resolved a critical bug in multiple versions of its execution <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="client" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/client.html">client</a>, which had prevented users from <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="process" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/process.html">process</a>ing blocks on the ETH network.</p>
 <p>The problem, primarily affecting Nethermind users, a minority client, has sparked discussions among Ethereum community members about the need for greater diversity in client usage, moving away from the predominantly used client, Geth.</p>
 <p>In a Jan. 21 tweet, Nethermind’s co-CTO, Daniel Cadela, confirmed that the consensus issue was present in versions 1.23 to 1.25 of their client. The hotfix update, version 1.25.2, was released within hours after users reported failure to process blocks.</p>
 <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
  <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
    <p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have the fix! <br>Please update to 1.25.2 <br>No resync is needed.https://t.co/fV3MEdipVX… <br>Versions up to 1.22 don't have that bug, only 1.23-1.25 are affected.</p>— DanielC (@_D4nie1_) January 21, 2024
   </blockquote>
  </div>
 </figure>
 <p>The bug was first brought to light by a GitHub user, “wga22”, who reported their Nethermind execution <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="client" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/client.html">client</a> was no longer <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="process" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/process.html">process</a>ing blocks. Although the bug impacted a minority of Ethereum nodes, it has reignited debates over the network’s heavy reliance on the Geth <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="client" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/client.html">client</a>.</p>
 <div class="cn-block-related-link">
  <svg class="cn-block-related-link__icon icon" aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="#"></use>
  </svg> <span class="cn-block-related-link__prefix"> You might also like: </span> MetaMask rolls out Validator Staking, opening path for user-run Ethereum nodes
 </div>
 <p>Presently, Geth is responsible for powering more than 84% of Ethereum’s execution layer. In contrast, Nethermind holds a smaller market share of 8.2%. This disparity has led to concerns about the risks of centralization on a single client, with advocates for decentralization highlighting the importance of client diversity for network resilience.</p>
 <p>“Client diversity is one of the Ethereum ecosystems greatest achievements,” noted analyst Anthony Sassano in a tweet from last August, a time when the distribution between Geth and Nethermind was more evenly balanced.</p>
 <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
  <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
    <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Client diversity is one of the Ethereum ecosystems greatest achievements pic.twitter.com/x4irTl2pr1</p>— sassal.eth/acc (@sassal0x) August 6, 2023
   </blockquote>
  </div>
 </figure>
 <p>The urgency of the hotfix release underscores that any client, regardless of its usage rate, is susceptible to bugs.</p>
 <p>“Nothing against Geth, but you’re taking on disproportionate risk by running it,” stated advocate ‘marceaueth’ in a Jan. 21 post on platform X.</p>
 <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
  <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
    <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Timely and friendly reminder to get tf off Geth.<br><br>Nothing against Geth (they're great) but you're taking on disproportionate risk by running it. pic.twitter.com/CxCNfmuEKU</p>— Marceau ️ (@marceaueth) January 21, 2024
   </blockquote>
  </div>
 </figure>
 <p>A similar issue in the majority of Geth <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="client" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/client.html">client</a>s could pose significant threats to Ethereum. The push for execution <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="client" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/client.html">client</a> diversity has been particularly pertinent since Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake with the Merge. The Ethereum Foundation had previously urged stakers to switch from the predominant <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="client" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/client.html">client</a> to ensure a more evenly distributed upgrade <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" title="process" href="https://thebittimes.com/tag/process.html">process</a>.</p>
 <p>The recent issue with Nethermind’s client illustrates the importance of maintaining a diverse range of clients to avoid systemic vulnerabilities.</p>
 <p>While decentralization advocates argue that Ethereum’s heavy reliance on a single client like Geth is counter to its foundational principles, some critics believe the current level of client distribution is sufficient, noting that previous outages involving minority clients have been effectively managed.</p>
 <p>The Nethermind episode serves as a reminder of the necessity for fault tolerance and redundancy in blockchain networks, especially those aiming for high-security standards.</p>
 <div class="cn-block-related-link">
  <svg class="cn-block-related-link__icon icon" aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="#"></use>
  </svg> <span class="cn-block-related-link__prefix"> Read more: </span> Liquid staking protocols: new era for Ethereum validators
 </div> <span class="google-news-banner__label">Follow Us on Google News</span>
</div>
<p>Source: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://thebittimes.com/nethermind-rolls-out-urgent-fix-for-block-processing-bug-in-ethereum-client-tbt77258.html">https://thebittimes.com/nethermind-rolls-out-urgent-fix-for-block-processing-bug-in-ethereum-client-tbt77258.html</a></p>

Nethermind rolls out urgent fix for block processing bug in Ethereum client

TheBitTimes

Other articles published on Jan 22, 2024

Graph Price Analysis: GRT price In Bears’ Grasp, What Next?

9 AI Altcoins Ready to Rival Ethereum in 2024

Are Bitcoin Bears Hinting at a Massive Drop to $30k Levels?

Ethereum’s Critical Juncture: Resistance and Support Dynamics

BitRiver Forecasts Cheaper Bitcoin Mining Costs in Russia Post-Halving

Testing – Not to publish

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!