Ethereum Execution Request

Overview

An Ethereum execution request is a message passed from the execution layer to the consensus layer through the framework defined by EIP-7685. It allows transactions and designated system contracts to trigger protocol operations that require consensus-layer processing. Each request consists of a one-byte request type followed by request-specific data. Different request types can use different internal encodings and validation rules.

During execution-block processing, the client collects request objects produced by the active request mechanisms. Non-empty request objects are ordered by type, hashed, and committed through the requests_hash field in the execution block header. This commitment allows clients to verify that the request data delivered to the consensus layer matches what was derived from the execution block. The framework acts as a general bus rather than defining the business rules of every request.

Request-specific proposals determine where data comes from, how fees and rate limits work, and what the consensus layer must validate. For example, validator withdrawal and consolidation mechanisms can collect calls in predeploy contracts, dequeue a limited number at the end of a block, and expose them as typed requests. The consensus layer may later reject or delay an item if credentials, validator state, or churn conditions are not satisfied.

An execution request should not be confused with an application API request, a normal contract transaction, or a guaranteed command. It is a protocol message carrying a requested action across Ethereum’s execution-consensus boundary. Infrastructure should record the originating transaction, request type, block commitment, queue state, and final consensus outcome. A finalized execution block proves the request commitment is part of Ethereum history, while the requested state change may still depend on later consensus layer processing.