Optimum's mump2p networking protocol has run on Ethereum mainnet since October 20. Optimum reports faster block delivery, but an independent test by StereumLabs did not establish statistically significant improvements.
Optimum co-founder Muriel Médard said approximately 90% of blocks were reaching participating validators around twice as fast in a November 10 statement. The protocol uses Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC) to send coded combinations of data across Ethereum's peer-to-peer network.
How mump2p changes block delivery
Ethereum's existing GossipSub system has nodes receive and forward messages to peers, sometimes receiving duplicate copies of the same information. RLNC instead combines pieces of information before sending them, and receiving nodes can rebuild the original data once they collect enough independent coded combinations.
The protocol connects through a gateway that runs alongside the validator's existing consensus client. Operators do not need to replace their consensus software or change Ethereum's consensus rules.
Test results diverge
In its launch announcement, Optimum reported block delivery speeds between two and four times faster than the GossipSub baseline. A separate company analysis of 50,292 slots found an average delivery advantage of 335 milliseconds.
However, StereumLabs tested 36 Ethereum mainnet nodes and saw earlier block arrivals on Lighthouse, Prysm, and Grandine, while Teku showed little change and Nimbus recorded slower results. Optimum responded that its global acceleration system had been active during the test, potentially letting untreated nodes benefit too.
Adoption among stakers grows
At launch, Optimum reported 16 participating node operators managing approximately 22,000 validator keys and more than 1.4 million staked ETH. By November 3, the company said adoption had reached 7.8% of all staked ETH, up from more than 3% at launch.
The service is free for validator block propagation, and operators connect through Optimum's gateway.
Buterin points to erasure-coded networking
Vitalik Buterin named erasure-coded networking among proposed improvements for Ethereum's longer-term roadmap in a November 9 post. He said its main tradeoff is implementation complexity, and those proposals remain separate from mump2p's mainnet deployment.
Source: crypto.news
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