Ethereum's EIP-8411 Could Cut Payload Propagation Times by 85%

Ethereum researchers have proposed a new approach to speed up the transmission of large execution payloads across the network. The proposal, called EIP-8411, uses segmented payload diffusion, which breaks a payload into smaller pieces that can move through the network at the same time.

According to simulations and prototype testing, this could significantly reduce the time needed to distribute large payloads. In one test, a 1 MiB payload took about five seconds to reach half of the network using the current approach, but with segmentation and batch publishing, median propagation dropped to about 0.75 seconds.

The researchers found that segmented payload broadcasting could cut Ethereum block propagation from seconds to under one, easing network bandwidth demands. Faster propagation supports larger gas limits, enabling bigger L1 blocks, zero-knowledge proofs, and post-quantum signatures.