Network Analytics

Ethereum Node Distribution Map

The following map provides insights into the countries where discovered Beacon Nodes have been located. A broad geographical distribution of Beacon Nodes is important to ensure the integrity, security, and censorship-resistance of the Ethereum network. It also ensures that no single point of failure exists within the network. This means that if a node or group of nodes in a specific location were to go offline, the network would still function properly due to the presence of nodes in other locations. Moreover, a broad distribution across different jurisdictions further ensures that it becomes more difficult for any one entity or group to censor or disrupt the network. This is because censorship or disruption would require coordination across multiple jurisdictions, rendering it a much more difficult task. Additionally, having Beacon Nodes in different jurisdictions also helps to protect against potential legal or regulatory risks that may be specific to certain regions. Overall, a wide geographical distribution of nodes is essential for ensuring the robustness and resilience of the Ethereum network.

in collaboration with

Note: Effective 6 March 2023, we have upgraded to the second iteration of the Armiarma crawler. The new version includes several optimisations that have resulted in improved data quality. This also led to notable deviations in some of the estimates as of that date. More information about how the data has been collected can be found here. The most recent version of the network crawler is open-source and can be found on GitHub.

Beacon Node Count

Nodes make up the backbone of a blockchain network and can be described as computer systems running the software required to participate in the network. Nodes are responsible for communicating with other nodes to validate transactions, store data, and maintain a copy of the blockchain. Each node maintains its own copy of the ledger and verifies it against the records of other nodes. A multitude of nodes is essential to eliminate single points of failure and identify invalid blocks, which preserves the blockchain network's security and integrity.

in collaboration with

Note: Effective 6 March 2023, we have upgraded to the second iteration of the Armiarma crawler. The new version includes several optimisations that have resulted in improved data quality. This also led to notable deviations in some of the estimates as of that date. More information about how the data has been collected can be found here. The most recent version of the network crawler is open-source and can be found on GitHub.

Ethereum Consensus Client Distribution

Client diversity in the Ethereum network is essential to mitigate the risk of attacks or bugs that exploit a specific client. When a single client has a dominant share of the network, it increases the risk of security threats and vulnerabilities. It further helps to prevent centralisation and the associated risks, making the network more robust and resistant to single points of failure, thus protecting its integrity and stability.

in collaboration with

Note: The consequences of a corrupted client can range from negligible to severe. If a corrupted client has less than 1/3 of the total staked ether, the impact is minimal, as the remaining 2/3 of the network can still make correct attestations and allow the Beacon Chain to function normally. If a corrupted client has more than 1/3 but less than 1/2, the consequences are more serious, leading to network disruptions and severe penalties for validators using the affected client. In the worst-case scenario, if a corrupted client has 2/3 or more of the total staked ether, it poses a significant threat, with limited mitigation options available.

Effective 6 March 2023, we have upgraded to the second iteration of the Armiarma crawler. The new version includes several optimisations that have resulted in improved data quality. This also led to notable deviations in some of the estimates as of that date. More information about how the data has been collected can be found here. The most recent version of the network crawler is open-source and can be found on GitHub.

Miga Labs is a research group specialized in next-generation Blockchain technology. The focus of our work is Data sharding, Proof-of-Stake, consensus protocols, p2p networks, data analytics. Our team helps design and evaluate new innovative blockchain protocols in order to obtain the highest performance and efficiency. We contribute to build and stress test some of the most resilient and robust decentralized protocols ever deployed on the Internet. We aim to create the next generation of scalable blockchain technology, several orders of magnitude more powerful than existing solutions.