Designing Ethereum's Geographical (De)Centralization Beyond the Atlantic
This simulation study explored how Ethereum's block-building paradigms (Single-Source Paradigm akin to MEV-Boost, and Multi-Source Paradigm) and network latency shape the geographical distribution of validators. Findings indicate that validators tend to cluster in regions with latency advantages, primarily North America, with the Multi-Source Paradigm leading to faster centralization than the Single-Source Paradigm. The research highlights how protocol design significantly influences validator geography and could be adjusted to promote greater decentralization.