OPRR Flash Depth Activities

Search Extension

Understanding Distributed Validation Technology: Operating Principles and Representative Projects.

23-02-02 15:51

Read this article in 15 Minutes

AI summary

View the summary

Original Title: "Understanding the Hot Distributed Node Technology DVT in Three Minutes"

Original Author: Tyrannosaurus Haym

Original Translation: FIHRY Isla, Biteye Core Contributor

Ethereum is built on a decentralized and flexible node network, but a significant number of nodes are centralized, making it relatively fragile. The focus will be on introducing Distributed Validator Technology (DVT), Obol Network, SSV Network, and Ethereum's future roadmap for further decentralization.

以太坊

(Currently, an Ethereum node is controlled by a single computer that handles both the EVM execution layer and the PoS consensus layer, while a distributed "node" can be composed of multiple servers.)

01 Ethereum Node Operation Principle

As we all know, Ethereum is known as the world computer and is a network composed of nearly 20,000 computers (nodes). Each node is a real computer (server) in the real world and communicates directly with each other in a peer-to-peer manner.

The purpose of maintaining such a large number of Ethereum servers is only one, which is to provide a stable, reliable and trustworthy shared computing platform - Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

EVM provides the background for transactions (computations), and everything users do on the chain happens in the EVM.

Each node runs a local version of the EVM and completes on-chain transactions through a process called "Proof of Stake" (PoS), which is then kept fully synchronized by replicas of all other EVMs.

Under the entire architecture, each node of Ethereum currently runs two software simultaneously.

The client responsible for implementing the EVM, such as @go_ethereum or @nethermindeth, is executed on the client side.

The consensus client (such as @ethnimbus, @sigp_io) monitors PoS and ensures the security of Ethereum.

A node can exist without staking any $ETH, but it should be noted that it will not receive any rewards and is not responsible for on-chain operations, only for synchronizing network data. When a node operator stakes 32 ETH, their node will create a new validator and begin participating in PoS.

(Translator's note: One server can create multiple validators, depending on the server's performance configuration and how many ETH are available.) It can also be understood in this way:

- Multiple nodes make up a computer in the real world, with each node staying synchronized to keep the Ethereum network in constant contact and ensure the EVM stays synchronized securely.- The validator is a virtual entity operated by nodes, existing in node servers, and participating in PoS.

It can be seen that the entire network is elastic, with thousands or even tens of thousands of nodes, and few events will affect every node. Therefore, the Ethereum network has maintained a good operational record for a long time. But what about individuals? For those who control a huge Ethereum network, the ability to resist failures cannot be said to be perfect.

Let's take a simple example: Suppose you are a home staker (building a server in your residence), and there is a power outage for several hours. During the power outage of your node, you will incur a penalty (deducting the same amount you earned during this period). If you are only offline for a few hours, resyncing your node with the blockchain head will not take a long time. However, the longer you are offline, the longer it takes to resync, and a complete resync takes several days.

During this period, you will be punished. This is already bad enough for a home pledger, but imagine being a huge staking-as-a-service provider like Lido Finance or Coinbase, where a data center outage or a bad configuration file could affect the entire development of De-Fi. Some may suggest running a backup node - if something happens to the main node, you can load the private key into the backup and continue to verify. But with today's technology, this is already a risk in itself.

(The user was punished for double-signing due to switching nodes to new hardware while the old hardware was not completely stopped.) And the distributed validator technology (DVT) we are introducing today can perfectly avoid the above problems.

02 What is DVT technology

In simple terms, a (regular) node is considered to be composed of consensus and EVM, while a DVT node is composed of multiple consensus and execution clients distributed across multiple machines.

If 32 $ETH are deployed to the Ethereum deposit contract, they will form a DVT cluster consisting of n members, and generate an m-of-n shared validator key (m < n). Whenever the validator key participates in PoS, at least m members must agree.

From the perspective of protocols, the fundamental aspect that ensures the smooth operation of Ethereum is the responsibility of each validator to complete verification in their designated rounds in a timely manner.

And DVT is precisely a cryptographic technology that can make validators more stable and secure in fulfilling their signing responsibilities by securely distributing individual responsibilities to an m-of-n group. Now, returning to the topic of home staking, with DVT, suppose you, me, and V God establish a DVT cluster. At the same time, we use Coinbase as a backup for emergencies.

For example, even if there is a power outage throughout my location in Singapore, you in Dali and V God in Canada still have electricity. We can rest assured because we are still verifying. DVT provides the necessary tools for Ethereum to continue its decentralization, further consolidating its trusted and neutral position as the settlement layer of the Internet. And DVT is just a technology, and we may see many different implementations of it.

03 Current projects using DVT technology

Let's take a look at two projects that use DVT below.

Obol Network

Obol Network recently raised $12.5 million to put their plans into action. Simply put, while a regular native node runs an execution and consensus client, an Obol node will add a third-party client on top of that.

以太坊

Currently, Obol Network has not yet launched. Users can get a good understanding of the working mode of DVT in advance through the screenshot of their DVT development board (shown below).

以太坊

(Choose your cluster size, add operator addresses, select the number of validators, and deploy.)

SSV Network

SSV has just announced a $50 million ecosystem fund (congratulations, this is a big event in the DVT field). SSV Network uses the same DVT technology concept, but the real highlight is its operator network.

以太坊

Users interested in deploying validators will bring their ETH to SSV, which will create a DVT cluster from four operators. This is just the beginning. DVT is not only for creating more stable Ethereum nodes, but also for clarifying the separation of concepts between nodes and validators, and clarifying their respective meanings. The most intuitive example is reflected in Ethereum's next roadmap, where one of the core technologies required to achieve Danksharding is to run advanced elliptic curve encryption technology on each block. This may be computationally heavy for current Ethereum nodes, but it will be easier to implement using the DVT cluster.

For more information about Danksharding, please refer to:

https://inevitableeth.com/home/ethereum/upgrades/scaling/data

04 Airdrop Speculation (Translator's Note)

Obol launched the Bia testnet on January 31st to test the scalability of Obol DVT. The expected outcome is to see over 500 active clusters and over 5000 participants activating through the launchpad and successfully running for over 30 days.

01/30/2023 Bia testnet launched.

01/30/2023 Cluster Creation

02/06/2023 Activate Cluster

02/06/2023 03/31/2023 Running (at least 30 days)

03/31/2023 End

04/20/2023 Bia Testnet Report

Although the official documentation of the testnet emphasizes that Bia is a non-incentivized testnet, meeting the requirements will reward a technical ambassador with a POAP, and it is worth a try whether there will be additional airdrop rewards for the POAP in the future.

POAP qualification is as follows:

Cluster creation and successful distributed key generation ceremony (proven by submitting a cluster type table).

Running an active cluster for more than 30 days.

Become the leader of the cluster.

Run 3 different settings among 4 cluster configurations: 6 nodes, multiple clients, mult-geo, or multiple hosts (i.e. at home, in the cloud, etc.).

Submit a complete feedback form after the cluster is created and Bia is finished.

Submit a complete Grafana dashboard to the dashboard competition (more details will be released in mid-February).

The official POAP that has obtained 5 technical ambassadors will be awarded to the recipient with the [Junior Technical Ambassador] role in the community, and will receive recognition, contact with the Obol team, and other benefits. https://www.notion.so/52ee03cb655c4da4ad2814f93bb21a93

There are other tasks outside of Biya that can also earn you the POAP of Technical Ambassador. For a complete list of ambassadors, please refer to the [Auburn Ambassador Program] page. https://www.notion.so/52ee03cb655c4da4ad2814f93bb21a93

Cluster Deployment Tutorial:

https://obol-dvt.notion.site/Obol-Bia-Testnet-Handbook-7003ac195a2d422fa3f0ee31cc15e4d6