# Ethereum Protocol Fellowship This document will be living document on my learnings, updates and progress on the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship (EPF). I'm very excited to be part of the 3rd cohort and dive deeper into Ethereum and protocol development. I'll also try to build in public and regularly share updates about my progress on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wslyvh/status/1584574732820971521). ## Resources - [What is the Fellowship Program](https://blog.ethereum.org/2022/09/01/ethereum-protocol-fellowship-third) - [EPF cohort 3](https://github.com/eth-protocol-fellows/cohort-three) - [Program details](https://github.com/eth-protocol-fellows/cohort-three/blob/master/program-guide/program-details.md) - [Mentors](https://github.com/eth-protocol-fellows/cohort-three/blob/master/program-guide/mentors.md) - [Project Ideas](https://github.com/eth-protocol-fellows/cohort-three/blob/master/projects/project-ideas.md) ## Program - **Phase 1 (Week 1):** - Learn about Ethereum protocol and update your knowledge on EVM - **Phase 2 (Week 2-3):** - Deep dive into specific areas of interest - Familiarize with previous work and current in the area of interest - Connect and discuss with mentors about your chosen topic - Outline project proposal - **Phase3 (Week 3-14):** - Continue participating in calls - Continue making weekly-biweekly updates on one's research and development - Work to execute and deliver your project proposal. - **Phase4 (Week 14-16):** - Create a summary report and presentation outlining what you worked on, the challenges faced, and the problems that were addressed and solved. # Project # Updates ## Week 3 *Updated 10/11/2022* Twitter updates - Privacy https://twitter.com/wslyvh/status/1590431572729425920 - AA https://twitter.com/wslyvh/status/1590713951989686272 - PBS https://twitter.com/wslyvh/status/1590718296122216449 ### Resources - Current state of PBS, Barnabe https://barnabe.substack.com/p/8b747639-b4bc-4230-92ae-17134abc4fd3 - Constrain builders https://ethresear.ch/t/how-much-can-we-constrain-builders-without-bringing-back-heavy-burdens-to-proposers/ - Decentralizing the Builder Role, Vitalik (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAgrIdyWIqc - Decentralizing the Builder Role https://joncharbonneau.substack.com/p/decentralizing-the-builder-role - Inclusion lists mev-boost https://hackmd.io/5rrA0KfBTFS7uvIEg41Lag ## Week 2 *Updated 05/11/2022* One of the reasons I've been interested to exploring privacy-enhancing features (beside anonymity) was due to recent TornadoCash events and MEV censoring. So I've been doing some more reading and research this week on PBS and crLists. This seems generally the way to go forward to increasing censorship resistance. ### Resources - Censorship resistance with PBS https://notes.ethereum.org/@vbuterin/pbs_censorship_resistance - Unbundling PBS, Barnabe https://ethresear.ch/t/unbundling-pbs-towards-protocol-enforced-proposer-commitments-pepc/13879 - Current crList proposal https://notes.ethereum.org/@fradamt/H1ZqdtrBF - Alternatives https://notes.ethereum.org/@fradamt/H1TsYRfJc - MEV-Boost proposal litList https://mirror.xyz/apriori.eth/Ow6EeeGXQ-6R1beflaO5ez6UOHx6KeJCZFVKTxiflMg - Builder Specs https://github.com/ethereum/builder-specs - Alex' MEV utilities https://github.com/ralexstokes/mev-rs - Flashbots MEV-boost https://github.com/flashbots/mev-boost/ - Flashbots MEV crList discussion https://github.com/flashbots/mev-boost/issues/215 - Front-running explorer https://www.zeromev.org/ #### Devcon Videos - Updates on PBS, Barnabe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQQ2UYB3qOI - Block building after the Merge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP5ppCRH0iM - MEV for the next billion, Phil Daian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACXAzLy3iWY - Insights from MEV-boost https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFVSRSN5E_A - Hybrid PBS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXGA-u-sH_w ## Week 1 *Updated 31/10/2022* No idea where to start yet, so this first week I'm diving into the program details, ideas, project lists and will do some research and reading on the current state of privacy. ["The only way to hold the line on privacy in the information age is strong cryptography."](https://www.philzimmermann.com/EN/essays/WhyIWrotePGP.html) Possible solutions - Mixers (e.g. TornadoCash) - Private transfers (Aztec, Railgun) - Shielded addresses (also using mixers? e.g. Zcash) - ZK Treshold transactions (plausible deniability) - ..? ### Resources - Recommend Program materials https://github.com/eth-protocol-fellows/cohort-three/blob/master/program-guide/reading.md - Panel on Censorship-resistance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81fRC5hKvRI #### Devcon videos - Privacy in Ethereum, Barry Whitehat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBUo7G95wYE - Towards a Privacy Layer for Ethereum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHiPt8QA9Wo - Building Privacy-Protecting Infrastructure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW1DYJifdhs - ZK Panel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBupNf1igbY - Interep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYKgHkb_aqk - Semaphore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxAfL91Sbw4 - RLN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrNiPBfbLw0 - ZKopru https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvRsJxu9X6w - ZKopru - ZK Design Patterns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PUKinjbLR8 #### Private Value Transfers / Aztec - Private Value transfer (Aztec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYqqXas8_O4 - Basic Noir transactions https://github.com/vezenovm/simple_shield - Noir Language https://noir-lang.github.io/book/ - Aztec's ZK Rollup https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztecs-zk-zk-rollup-looking-behind-the-cryptocurtain-2b8af1fca619 - Aztec's Architecture https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/fully-confidential-ethereum-transactions-aztec-networks-privacy-architecture-274f968b13d4 #### Stealth/Shielded addresses - Stealth Addresses https://hackernoon.com/blockchain-privacy-enhancing-technology-series-stealth-address-i-c8a3eb4e4e43 - Shielded Addresses https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/10/21/hodling-shielded-assets-is-the-best-way-to-maintain-privacy/ - Discussions on stealth addresses, ZK-SNARKs, etc. https://ethresear.ch/t/erc721-extension-for-zk-snarks/13237 - EIP-5564 Stealh address wallets https://medium.com/@toni_w/eip-5564-improving-privacy-on-ethereum-through-stealth-address-wallets-fdf3250e81a1 + Github https://github.com/Nerolation/EIP-Stealth-Address-ERC - Umbra Protocol https://github.com/ScopeLift/umbra-protocol #### Account Abstraction Another approach could be to use account abstraction to e.g. creating fresh/anon addresses for withdrawing from ZK-/privacy rollups (Aztec) or mixers (TornadoCash). Or alternatives, like ZK-proofs or threshold transactions - Vitalik on AA/4337 https://medium.com/infinitism/erc-4337-account-abstraction-without-ethereum-protocol-changes-d75c9d94dc4a - Account Abstraction Roadmap https://notes.ethereum.org/@vbuterin/account_abstraction_roadmap - ELI5: Account abstraction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuYZWJj65AY - Account abstraction panel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsZBymiyT-8 - 4337 workshop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWlJiL_iZA - EIP https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/blob/master/EIPS/eip-4337.md - Docs https://eip4337.com/ - Project updates https://hackmd.io/@erc4337 - Github https://github.com/eth-infinitism - Nethermind Updates on 4337 https://medium.com/nethermind-eth/erc-4337-account-abstraction-is-already-here-e9588b789e15 Other / EPF - plusminushalf on AA (cohort 3) https://mirror.xyz/plusminushalf.eth/MIThq8Ford5O3b0hDA4LR_tsRteDfazRfpVQXOR3Euk - lightclients on formalizing "Account Migration" (cohort 2) https://github.com/eth-protocol-fellows/cohort-one/issues/31 ## Week 0 *Updated 25/10/2022* My primary interest for joining the program is to explore how we can improve (base-layer) privacy and other solutions that add more privacy by default. With all the recent events, I very much agree with @Tim that our window to add good privacy solutions is closing.. We need to act now! https://twitter.com/TimBeiko/status/1533327643998769152 Another interesting tweet by Balaji on how do we keep the versatility of Ethereum with the privacy of Zcash? https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1573472350951145472 Other objectives: 1. Make a meaningful contribution to one of the client projects (e.g. Lodestar) 1. On-board more core devs, using my own experience by documenting my experiences and learnings @ [useWeb3](https://www.useweb3.xyz/) 1. Collaborate with the Privacy & Scaling Exploration (PSE) team to move beyond exploration.
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