Ethereum Proof-of-Stake Consensus Specifications

April 21, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

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This repository hosts the current Ethereum proof-of-stake specifications. Discussions about design rationale and proposed changes can be brought up and discussed as issues. Solidified, agreed-upon changes to the specifications can be made through pull requests.

Specifications

Core specifications for Ethereum proof-of-stake clients can be found in specs. These are divided into features. Features are researched and developed in parallel, and then consolidated into sequential upgrades when ready.

Stable specifications

Seq.Code NameFork EpochLinks
0Phase00Specs, Tests
1Altair74240Specs, Tests
2Bellatrix144896Specs, Tests
3Capella194048Specs, Tests
4Deneb269568Specs, Tests
5Electra364032Specs, Tests
6Fulu411392Specs, Tests

Unstable specifications

Seq.Code NameFork EpochLinks
7GloasTBDSpecs, Tests
8HezeTBDSpecs, Tests

Accompanying documents

External specifications

Reference tests

Contributors

Prerequisites

Install uv with:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Installation and usage

Clone the repository with:

git clone git@github.com:ethereum/consensus-specs.git

Switch to the directory:

cd consensus-specs

View the help output:

make help

Design goals

The following are the broad design goals for the Ethereum proof-of-stake consensus specifications:

  • Minimize complexity, even at the cost of some losses in efficiency.
  • Remain live through major network partitions and when very large portions of nodes go offline.
  • Select components that are quantum secure or easily swappable for quantum-secure alternatives.
  • Utilize crypto and design techniques that allow for a large participation of validators.
  • Minimize hardware requirements such that a consumer laptop can participate.

Useful resources