Key Points
- Coinbase Cloud has integrated support for Nethermind and Erigon to enhance Ethereum execution client diversity.
- This move aims to decrease reliance on the widely used Geth execution layer client by strategically spreading validators across multiple clients.
Coinbase Cloud has recently incorporated support for Nethermind and Erigon into its staking infrastructure. This step is intended to boost the diversity of execution-layer clients used for Ethereum.
Reducing Dependency on Geth
The goal of this move is to lessen the reliance on the popularly used Geth execution layer client. This is achieved by deliberately distributing validators across various clients. The rollout of Nethermind clients is set to commence this week.
The issue of execution client diversity on Ethereum is a significant concern for Coinbase.
Ethereum Clients and Their Role
Ethereum clients are software applications that enable interaction with the Ethereum blockchain. They process transactions and execute smart contracts. Coinbase is one of the top staking service providers on Ethereum, managing 138,000 validator nodes utilizing these clients.
Coinbase’s support for Nethermind and Erigon, in addition to Geth, addresses the concern over Geth’s dominance. Geth accounts for over 70% of execution layer clients, and there are risks associated with heavy reliance on a single client. These risks include centralization issues and potential impacts if a vulnerability in the Geth client is discovered.
Ethereum’s core developers have been increasingly advocating for a multi-client ecosystem. Such an ecosystem would allow various clients, developed by independent teams in diverse programming languages, to operate.
