Discovering the Ethereum2 P2P Network

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the topology of the Ethereum 2.0 peer-to-peer network, providing insights into its structure and potential security implications during the transition to Eth2.

Contribution

It offers the first detailed analysis of Ethereum 2.0's p2p network topology, highlighting possible vulnerabilities and network characteristics.

Findings

Approximately 5,000 nodes in Eth2 main net

Network topology details and structure identified

Potential security hazards discussed

Abstract

Achieving the equilibrium between scalability, sustainability, and security while keeping decentralization has prevailed as the target solution for decentralized blockchain applications over the last years. Several approaches have been proposed by multiple blockchain teams to achieve it, Ethereum being among them. Ethereum is on the path of a major protocol improvement called Ethereum 2.0 (Eth2), implementing Sharding and introducing the Proof-of-Stake (PoS). As the change of consensus mechanism is a delicate matter, this improvement will be achieved through different phases, the first of which is the implementation of the Beacon Chain. As Ethereum1, Eth2 relies on a decentralized peer-to-peer (p2p) network for the message distribution. Up to date, we estimate that there are around 5.000 nodes in the Eth2 main net geographically distributed. However, the topology of this one still prevails unknown. In this paper, we present the results obtained from the analysis we performed on the Eth2 p2p network. Describing the topology of the network, as possible hazards that this one implies.