Caplin

Caplin, the novel embedded Consensus Layer, brings unparalleled performance, efficiency, and reliability to Ethereum infrastructure. Its innovative design minimize disk usage, enabling faster transaction processing and a more secure network.

By integrating the consensus layer into the EVM-node, Caplin eliminates the need for separate disk storage, reducing overall system complexity and improving overall efficiency. OtterSync, a new syncing algorithm, further enhances performance by shifting 98% of the computation to network bandwidth, reducing sync times and improving chain tip performance, disk footprint, and decentralization.

Caplin Usage

Caplin is enabled by default, at which point an external consensus layer is no longer needed.

./build/bin/erigon

Caplin also has an archive mode for historical states, blocks, and blobs. These can be enabled with the following flags:

  • --caplin.states-archive: Enables the storage and retrieval of historical state data, allowing access to past states of the blockchain for debugging, analytics, or other use cases.
  • --caplin.blocks-archive: Enables the storage of historical block data, making it possible to query or analyze full block history.
  • --caplin.blobs-archive: Enables the storage of historical blobs, ensuring access to additional off-chain data that might be required for specific applications.

In addition, Caplin can backfill recent blobs for an op-node or other uses with the new flag:

  • --caplin.blobs-immediate-backfill: Backfills the last 18 days' worth of blobs to quickly populate historical blob data for operational needs or analytics.

Caplin can also be used for block production, aka staking.