offchainlabs/prysm

Prysm is a Go implementation of the Ethereum consensus layer, developed by Offchain Labs. Ethereum's blockchain is maintained by two separate software systems working together: an execution layer that processes transactions and smart contracts, and a consensus layer that determines which transactions are valid and in what order they get added to the chain. Prysm handles the consensus side, implementing the proof-of-stake protocol that replaced Ethereum's original mining-based system. In Ethereum's proof-of-stake model, participants called validators lock up a deposit of ETH to earn the right to propose and vote on new blocks. Prysm provides the software that validators run to participate in this process. Running a full Ethereum node requires pairing Prysm with a separate execution client, since the two layers need each other to function. The official documentation portal at docs.prylabs.network provides detailed installation and setup instructions covering each component. For those who want to participate in staking on the main Ethereum network, the README points to the official Ethereum staking launchpad as the recommended starting point. Tools like beaconcha.in and beaconscan allow anyone to track validator activity, rewards, and new blocks being added to the chain. The codebase uses two main branches: master for the latest stable release, which is what most users should run, and develop for active work-in-progress changes that contributors should base new pull requests on. The project follows the Ethereum consensus specification and tracks the version of that spec it implements. Prysm is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0.