[PERCH] Request for Node Operators to run and test Optimum (mump2p)

Department of Decentralisation
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Below is a post in response to PERCH: Protocol Evaluation and Request Coordination Hub and the APM Framework. Thank you for this opportunity to engage with the Lido Community.

TLDR

Optimum is requesting that Lido Curated Module node operators run and test mump2p, a gossip protocol that accelerates Ethereum block propagation using Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC). On Mainnet, mump2p has been measured propagating 2.42x faster with 7.88x lower variance compared to the libp2p baseline, translating into measurable improvements in head vote accuracy and attestation timeliness - both established drivers of validator APR.

mump2p fits the APM framework as a Protocol delivered via a Sidecar, runs in parallel to libp2p, and can be opted in or out at any time with a single peer list config change.

We are proposing an one-month PERCH testnet evaluation on Hoodi.

Background

Ethereum’s consensus layer relies on libp2p’s Gossipsub, which was designed for reliability over speed. Latency has become a meaningful constraint on validator income: late block arrival reduces head vote accuracy, increases the risk of missed attestations, and compresses the window available to block builders when assembling payloads. As the consensus layer becomes more performance-sensitive, propagation latency translates directly into validator rewards and network efficiency.

This matters particularly for Lido: because of its share of Ethereum’s staked ETH, performance gains across its operator set compound into network-wide benefits - stronger consensus and better geo-diversity - while also supporting stETH’s competitiveness through more consistent validator rewards.

What is mump2p?

mump2p is a gossip protocol built on libp2p that uses RLNC to improve message propagation. Instead of transmitting whole messages between peers, mump2p breaks messages into coded shards that can be independently forwarded and mathematically recombined. Any intermediate node can generate new coded shards from its current set without waiting for the full message, enabling faster, more fault-tolerant propagation.

Mapped to the APM taxonomy:

  • Mechanism: Faster CL messages propagation (blocks, attestations)
  • Protocol: mump2p, an RLNC-coded gossip protocol
  • Sidecar: Optimum Gateway, run alongside the beacon node

The Gateway is a sidecar, it requires no changes to validator software, no modifications to consensus behavior, and introduces no new slashing conditions. mump2p is live on both testnet and mainnet.

Full protocol documentation: mump2p Protocol
Gateway user guide: Optimum Gateway
Learn more about Optimum and the vision behind mump2p: Free and faster Ethereum beacon block propagation

Details of Request for Testing

Number of Participants: Multiple Lido Curated Module operators are currently running mump2p on Hoodi, operating in excess of the validator key threshold set by the APM Framework. We invite additional Lido operators to express interest by replying to this thread and completing the application form below.

Application Form to join the Testnet: Optimum (mump2p): Lido PERCH Participation Form

Testing Outline

  • Software and/or protocols to be used: mump2p is the gossip protocol used on the Optimum Network with the repo here, documentation on testing here, and documentation to learn more can be found here.
  • Networks: Hoodi
  • Duration: One month

Requirements

  • Expected Impact: Operators add the Optimum Gateway as a sidecar container alongside their existing beacon node, as outlined in the documentation. Setup takes 1–2 hours per operator, hands-on engineering support from Optimum is available. The Gateway is compatible with Prysm, Teku, Lighthouse, Nimbus, and Lodestar.

Alignment with Ethereum Roadmap

  • Faster block and attestation propagation strengthens consensus, reduces reorg risk, and creates headroom for higher gas limits and shorter slot times.
  • Coded shards add redundancy at the gossip layer, improving network resilience.
  • Reduced propagation latency narrows the performance gap between validators in network hubs and those in underserved regions, strengthening geo-diversity.

Neutrality and Inclusivity

  • Open to any Lido Curated Module operator with no exclusivity, no commitments, and no dependency on specific validator software.

Licensing

Adherence to Community Standards

  • Fits the APM framework taxonomy as a Protocol delivered via a Sidecar.

Security Best Practices

  • Sidecar, not validator software. The Gateway runs alongside the beacon client. It relays gossip traffic between the local CL and the mump2p mesh. It does not access validator keys, does not sign attestations or blocks, and does not change consensus duties. If the Gateway stops, there is no fallback needed as the CL client never stopped sending and receiving traffic from its libp2p/GossipSub peers.
  • Clear trust boundaries. Security is designed around boundaries operators control:
    • Local CL client — the gateway only forwards what the paired beacon client publishes; operators should restrict the CL-facing port to their intended client.

Call to Action

  • Lido Curated Module operators: Reply to this thread and complete the signup form to join the one-month Hoodi evaluation. Setup is a sidecar alongside your existing beacon client (~1–2 hours; Optimum support available).
  • Lido community & security reviewers: Questions and feedback welcome on this thread. We will publish the ProbeLab audit report and operator security guide alongside the public gateway repo; happy to share advance copies with reviewers engaged on this PERCH.
  • Timeline: Testing runs for one month on Hoodi; a closing performance summary will be posted to the Research Forum.

Resources

6 Likes
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InfStones participated in OptimumP2P’s private testnet to evaluate its RLNC-based approach to faster and more efficient Ethereum block propagation.

During our testing, we operated the infrastructure alongside our validator setup and assessed its performance, reliability, and integration requirements.

Our experience showed that OptimumP2P provides a practical way to improve data propagation while reducing latency and bandwidth demands, without modifying validator software or consensus duties.

We had a positive experience working with the Optimum team, whose support made the testing and integration process smooth and effective.

4 Likes
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As a representative of Ebunker NO, allow me to share our experience collaborating with OptimumP2P. In the testnet environment, we indeed observed a noticeable reduction in ETH network latency. We are excited to see Lido considering Optimum’s solution, and we would be delighted to participate in further testing.

4 Likes
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HashKey Cloud ran the Optimum Gateway on Hoodi. Setup was straightforward — about an hour as a sidecar alongside our existing beacon client, with no changes to our CL stack, signing setup, or consensus duties. We measured roughly 200ms lower average attestation propagation on our nodes, which is a meaningful improvement at the margin where head vote accuracy is decided.
Working with the Optimum team was a pleasure — responsive, hands-on, and quick to answer questions during integration. The opt-in/opt-out design and clean separation from validator keys make this low-risk to evaluate. We’d encourage other operators to join the Hoodi run.

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Blockdaemon participated in the Optimum Gateway trial on the Hoodi network. Over the course of the trial we observed an overall improvement in our attestation performance, including head, target and source votes.

Implementation: Deploying the Gateway was very straightforward. The documentation was clear, which allowed us to automate the rollout of the Optimum sidecar quickly across our infrastructure.

Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance has been minimal. We have rarely had to make changes to the Gateway, and neither CL nor EL client upgrades have impacted it.

Monitoring: Optimum exposes Prometheus metrics out of the box, which made it easy to fold the Gateway into our existing monitoring stack.

Based on this experience, we would strongly support deploying Optimum more widely on Hoodi to expand the testing set and gather more data.

3 Likes