EIPs, short for Ethereum Improvement Proposals, are essential to Ethereum because they allow community members to propose, debate, and adopt new changes to the network. Additionally, EIPs are one way the Ethereum blockchain documents changes to its network.
Whenever a network update arrives on Ethereum, it consists of a set of EIPs. For clients to stay in consensus with one another on the Ethereum mainnet, each must implement these EIPs in order for the network to adopt them. EIPs are also an essential governance tool since Ethereum is open-source, as anyone can propose an EIP and discuss whether it is something to be adopted or dismissed.
Standard track EIPs affect most of, if not all, Ethereum implementations. This includes network protocol changes, transaction or block validity rules, changes to the interoperability of Ethereum applications, or proposing standards and conventions to follow. Standard track EIPs can be further broken down into six categories: core, network, interface, ERC, meta, and informational.
- Core — The core type is a change that requires a consensus fork, and changes need to be input from core developers.
- Network — These improvements are typically in line with network protocol specifications and improvements around devp2p.
- Interface — This includes improvements on RPC/API specifications and standards along with language-level standards.
- ERC — These changes affect token standards, name registries, URI schemes, library/package formats, and account abstraction.
- Meta — This typically proposes a change to an event or a process on Ethereum. For example, changes to decision-making processes, tool changes in Ethereum development, and guidelines.
- Informational — These are changes that relate specifically to design.
