Ethereum's peer-to-peer backbone network faces a gap in open source funds

Shipyard is the main maintainer of libp2p, the peer-to-peer network stack used by Ethereum and other networks, and the protocol will terminate support for its Go and JavaScript implementations on September 30 due to resource constraints. The team is handing over management to the community. Libp2p is the foundation of the Ethereum network and supports peer discovery and block propagation. MIT professor Muriel Médard has developed OptimumP2P, an alternative designed to reduce latency. The blockchain-based system Tea Protocol recommends providing sustainable funding for open source projects by allocating token rewards to maintainers. Short-term risks include slower error repair during transition periods.