EIP (Ethereum Improvement Proposal) is a proposal for improving Ethereum. It describes new features or changes proposed for the Ethereum network. EIPs are created and discussed by developers and then go through a process of consensus and testing. Each EIP contains technical details and motivation for the changes.
Key categories of EIP:
- Core: These impact the operation of the Ethereum network itself and require activation through hard forks (e.g., EIP-1559).
- Networking: These define improvements to the protocol for interaction between nodes in the network.
- Interface: These include changes related to applications and user interfaces.
- ERC (Ethereum Request for Comment): Standards for smart contracts, such as ERC-20 and ERC-721 for tokens.
EIPs serve as a mechanism through which the Ethereum community can propose and discuss new ideas, contributing to the development and evolution of the network.