I am trying to wrap my head around how the POS ethereum will work and have so many questions.
First one is basically about the beacon chain. What exactly would the blocks in the beacon chain contain?
I read that validators will propose and attests to blocks that would be added in the proof of stake version of ethereum, but what exactly would be the content of the blocks? Will it be the everyday balance transaction that you have in the current ethereum pow blocks? or something else?
My feeling is if validators are replacing miners, and miners add blocks that contain transaction, then perhaps the blocks validators would also be adding will be transactions (given they are replacing miners) – but from what I am reading I have a feeling this is not correct. Thing is I can't also find an exact explanation of the content of blocks the validators will be proposing.
Anyone knows more about this that can help?
Best Answer
Yes, beacon blocks after The Merge (when Proof of Stake replaces Proof of Work) will contain transactions.
Beacon blocks, up to and including Altair, have the following per https://eth2book.info/altair/annotated-spec#beaconblockbody
With The Merge, an
ExecutionPayload
will be added per https://github.com/ethereum/annotated-spec/blob/master/merge/beacon-chain.md#beaconblockbodyYes, beacon blocks after The Merge will contain transactions. An
ExecutionPayload
per https://github.com/ethereum/annotated-spec/blob/master/merge/beacon-chain.md#executionpayload has:Other helpful references:
The first reference contains this overview of how blocks look before and after The Merge: