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 primarily a process. This process involves builders gradually forming a consensus on how to improve the Ethereum ecosystem and then beginning to implement those improvements. EIPs are not only technical, but also an active community.
Like other technical systems, Ethereum requires standards to define its basic principles. Currently, the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) is the technical standard for Ethereum.
As its name suggests, an EIP is a proposal that can range from a humble suggestion to a definitive standard. The EIP embodies this proposal process. Anyone in the Ethereum community 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 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 the open-source internet community. Its primary purpose is to propose functional improvements to the Ethereum community, facilitate community consensus, and document Ethereum design decisions. These three objectives, established in 2015, have been maintained to this day, as recorded in the EIP-1 document, which serves as the standard for EIP.
Currently, EIP is the primary mechanism used to drive functional changes, community governance, and decentralization in Ethereum. Any community member can propose EIPs, participate in related discussions, and collectively decide the future of Ethereum.
The EIPs process is community-driven. Despite the EIP mechanism being in existence in Ethereum for 8 years, discussions around EIPs process within the community are still active. This includes major changes such as the discussion of separating EIP and ERC into two GitHub repositories, as seen in this discussion.
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!
If you have a great idea and plan to develop it into an Ethereum Improvement Proposal (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 some feedback from community members and confirm the value of your idea to the community. Good luck!
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, writing standards are equally as important as the content. Ethereum core developer Hudson Jameson once said: