Daniel Ramirez

I'm a programmer, researcher, and writer with a focus on the Ethereum ecosystem. I've contributed to the Lighthouse consensus client since late 2022, and was selected as an Ethereum protocol fellow in 2023. During the fellowship, I researched building a lightclient validator using the Portal Network, publishing articles and delivering talks at Devconnect 2023. In my spare time, I'm completing a bachelor's degree in mechatronics engineering at the National University of Colombia.

Professional Experience

• Protocol Fellow, Ethereum Foundation, Remote, August 2023 - November 2023

  As a protocol fellow:

  • Researched how to build a lightweight validator by replacing the execution layer client with a portal client on staking setups.
  • Published multiple technical articles documenting my research.
  • Delivered talks at Devconnect 2023, sharing insights on staking and lightweight validators.
  • Collaborated with leading Ethereum developers, especially Ethereum Foundation's Trin team, to refine my research.

Open Source Contributions

• Lighthouse: Ethereum consensus client in Rust.

  • PR#3753: Added the finalized flag to all responses of the beacon node HTTP API.
  • PR#4002: Cleaned redundant code on the network::Router and network::Processor crates.
  • PR#4052: Added the always_prefer_builder_payload field to the configuration. (And all it's corresponding logic.)
  • List of all Pull Requests

• Foundry: Foundry is a blazing fast, portable and modular toolkit for Ethereum application development written in Rust.

  • PR#2528: Added the contract ignore list to the gas report feature.

Publications and Talks

• Articles:
  • Engine API: A Visual Guide: A deep dive into how Ethereum execution layer clients communicate with consensus layer clients.
  • Lighthouse Beacon Node Startup: Exploring how Lighthouse initiates a Beacon Node, focusing on the execution engine.
  • Notes on Flashbots PBS Architecture: Explaining how the current PBS architecture works.
  • EFP Final Dev Update: Final update and closing thoughts about my Ethereum Protocol Fellowship project.
  • More articles on my Hackmd account
• Talks:
  • Staking Without Execution Clients: Ethstaker's Staking Gathering 2023, Istanbul, Turkey.
  • Portal Network Validator: EPF Day 2023, Istanbul, Turkey.

Community Involvement

• Lead Translator, Optimism, January 2022 - Present

  As a lead translator:

  • Translated multiple documents, technical articles, and guides into Spanish for the Optimism help center.
  • Reviewed translations from other contributors to ensure quality and consistency.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in mechatronics engineering, National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, 2018 - present. Expected graduation: early 2025.