EIP stands for Ethereum Improvement Proposal. For those who want to learn about Ethereum, EIPs can be difficult to understand because they are filled with unfamiliar and abstract terms. Although EIPs are, to some extent, a technical standard, they are more of a process, which involves builders gradually forming a consensus on how to improve the Ethereum ecosystem and then implementing those proposal. EIP is not only about technical standards but also an active community.

What is EIP?

Technical Standards

Like any other technical system, Ethereum requires standards to define its basic principles. Currently, EIP serves as the technical standard for Ethereum.

Social Consensus Process

As its name suggests, an EIP is a proposal that can range from a humble idea to a formal standard. This term — EIP — also represents this whole process. Anyone can propose an EIP. However, for it to become an Ethereum standard, it needs to reach a consensus through community discussion. This process documents changes in Ethereum's technology, and the entire history of each EIP can be found in the GitHub repository of EIPs.

EIP and Open Source Culture

EIP was created by Martin Becze, one of Ethereum's early core developers. The foundational document of EIP, EIP-1, was inspired by BIP-0001 and PEP-0001. Therefore, the entire framework and process of EIP, as well as its culture, is based on open-source communities.

Since its inception in 2015, EIP has been the primary mechanism for driving improvements to Ethereum's technical details, establishing community consensus, and documenting Ethereum's design decisions. These three original purposes still persist today and are outlined in EIP-1, the "standard" of EIP. EIP empowers the community to collectively drive and determine Ethereum's future.

How does an EIP work?

The EIP process is community-driven and constantly evolving. Despite being in place for 8 years, discussions within the Ethereum community regarding the EIP process remain active.

EIPIP (Ethereum Improvement Proposal Improvement Process) is an initiative launched by the Ethereum community to maintain and improve the EIP process. Meetings are held every two weeks to discuss community ideas and opinions, and to reach a consensus on how to implement them. You can access the EIPIP repository here.

Interested in creating an EIP? Here's a quick roadmap to get you started!

Midas Touch

If you have a great idea and plan to develop it into an EIP, don't rush into the formal process. Instead, please come to the "Fellowship of Ethereum Magicians" forum and share your idea.

Doesn't the name sound cool? It's like the first stop at the Ethereum Magic Academy, a place where magicians, experienced developers, Ethereum enthusiasts, and EIP editors all hang out. If you have some great ideas about Ethereum, why not come over and communicate with them first? After posting your idea, you may receive feedback from community members that can improve your original ideas and promote the formation of a community consensus. Good luck!

Write & Submit

To access the EIP repository, click on this link, clone your own EIP repository, write down your ideas, and submit a pull request.

It is important to note that the EIP is a technical document that requires a unified writing format and framework, as well as concise language. Therefore, during the Draft stage, formatting is equally important as the content. Ethereum core developer Hudson Jameson once said:

An EIP enters Draft status as long as the EIP is correctly formatted and the content makes sense. I like to say that an EIP on how to make a proper peanut butter sandwich can be put in draft status as long as it follows the rules outlined in EIP-1 which is the rulebook for creating an EIP.