| # rust-libp2p Roadmap | |
| Below is a high level roadmap for the rust-libp2p project. | |
| Items are ordered by priority (high to low). | |
| This is a living document. | |
| Input is always welcome e.g. via GitHub issues or pull requests. | |
| This is the roadmap of the Rust implementation of libp2p. | |
| See also the [general libp2p project roadmap](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/ROADMAP.md). | |
| ## In the works | |
| ### WebTransport | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |-----------------------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity / optimization | todo | | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2993 | [QUIC](#experimental-quic-support) | | | |
| A WebTransport implementation in rust-libp2p will enable browsers to connect to rust-libp2p server nodes where the latter only have a self-signed TLS certificate. | |
| Compared to WebRTC, this would likely be more stable and performant. | |
| ### AutoNATv2 | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|----------|------------------|------------------| | |
| | Connectivity | todo | Q4/2023 | | Address pipeline | Address pipeline | | |
| Implement the new AutoNAT v2 specification. | |
| See https://github.com/libp2p/specs/pull/538. | |
| ### Address pipeline | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|----------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity | todo | Q4/2023 | | AutoNATv2 | AutoNATv2 | | |
| Be smart on address prioritization. | |
| go-libp2p made a lot of progress here. | |
| Lots to learn. | |
| See https://github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/issues/2229 and https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/1896#issuecomment-1537774383. | |
| ### Optimize Hole punching | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|----------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Optimization | todo | | | | | | |
| We released hole punching support with [rust-libp2p `v0.43.0`](https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/releases/tag/v0.43.0), see also https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2052. | |
| We are currently collecting data via the [punchr](https://github.com/dennis-tra/punchr) project on the hole punching success rate. | |
| See also [call for action](https://discuss.libp2p.io/t/decentralized-nat-hole-punching-measurement-campaign/1616) in case you want to help. | |
| Based on this data we will likely find many optimizations we can do to our hole punching stack. | |
| ### Improved Wasm support | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |----------------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------|----------------------------------------------| | |
| | Developer ergonomics | todo | | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2617 | | [WebRTC](#webrtc-support-browser-to-browser) | | |
| The project supports Wasm already today, though the developer experience is cumbersome at best. | |
| Properly supporting Wasm opens rust-libp2p to a whole new set of use-cases. | |
| I would love for this to happen earlier. | |
| Though (a) I think we should prioritize improving existing functionality over new functionality and (b) we don't have high demand for this feature from the community. | |
| (One could argue that that demand follows this roadmap item and not the other way round.) | |
| ### WebRTC in the browser via WASM | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity | In progress | | https://github.com/libp2p/specs/issues/475 | [Improved WASM support](#improved-wasm-support), https://github.com/libp2p/specs/pull/497 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/pull/4248 | | |
| Use the browser's WebRTC stack to support [`/webrtc`](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/webrtc/webrtc.md) and [`/webrtc-direct`](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/webrtc/webrtc-direct.md) from within the browser using rust-libp2p compiled to WASM. | |
| This makes rust-libp2p a truly end-to-end solution, enabling users to use rust-libp2p on both the client (browser) and server side. | |
| ### Attempt to switch from webrtc-rs to str0m | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity | todo | | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/3659 | | | | |
| Reduce maintenance burden and reduce dependency footprint. | |
| ## Done | |
| ### Alpha QUIC support | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity | Done | Q4/2022 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2883 | https://github.com/libp2p/test-plans/issues/53 | | | |
| QUIC has been on the roadmap for a long time. | |
| It enables various performance improvements as well as higher hole punching success rates. | |
| We are close to finishing a first version with https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/pull/2289. | |
| ### WebRTC support (browser-to-server) | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | |
| | Connectivity | Done | Q4/2022 | https://github.com/libp2p/specs/pull/412 | https://github.com/libp2p/test-plans/pull/100 | [WebRTC (browser-to-browser)](#webrtc-support-browser-to-browser) | | |
| We are currently implementing WebRTC for **browser-to-server** connectivity in https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/pull/2622. | |
| More specifically the server side. | |
| This will enable browser nodes to connect to rust-libp2p nodes where the latter only have self-signed TLS certificates. | |
| See https://github.com/libp2p/specs/pull/412 for in-depth motivation. | |
| Long term we should enable rust-libp2p running in the browser via Wasm to use the browser's WebRTC stack. | |
| Though that should only happen after improved Wasm support, see below. | |
| ### Kademlia efficient querying | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Optimization | done | Q1/2023 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/pull/2712 | | | | |
| Users of rust-libp2p like [iroh](https://github.com/n0-computer/iroh) need this for low latency usage of `libp2p-kad`. | |
| The rust-libp2p maintainers can pick this up unless iroh folks finish the | |
| work before that. | |
| ### Generic connection management | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |----------------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Developer Ergonomics | done | Q1/2023 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2824 | | | | |
| Today connection management functionality in rust-libp2p is limited. | |
| Building abstractions on top is cumbersome and inefficient. | |
| See https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2824. | |
| Making connection management generic allows users to build advanced and efficient abstractions on top of rust-libp2p. | |
| ### Cross Behaviour communication | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |----------------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | |
| | Developer ergonomics | Done | Q1/2023 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2680 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2832 | [Kademlia client mode](#kademlia-client-mode) | | |
| Today `NetworkBehaviour` implementations like Kademlia, GossipSub or Circuit Relay v2 can not communicate with each other, i.e. cannot make use of information known by another `NetworkBehaviour` implementation. | |
| Users need to write the wiring code by hand to e.g. enable Kademlia to learn protocols supported by a remote peer from Identify. | |
| This roadmap item contains exchanging standard information about remote peers (e.g. supported protocols) between `NetworkBehaviour` implementations. | |
| Long term we might consider a generic approach for `NetworkBehaviours` to exchange data. | |
| Though that would deserve its own roadmap item. | |
| ## QUIC - implement hole punching | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity | done | Q3/2023 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2883 | | | | |
| Add hole punching support for QUIC. | |
| See also [DCUtR specification on usage with QUIC](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/relay/DCUtR.md#the-protocol). | |
| ## Kademlia client mode | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | |
| | Optimization | Done | Q2/2023 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2032 | [Cross behaviour communication](#cross-behaviour-communication) | | | |
| Kademlia client mode will enhance routing table health and thus have a positive impact on all | |
| Kademlia operations. | |
| ## QUIC - evaluate and move to quinn | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity | done | Q3/2023 | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/issues/2883 | | | | |
| We added alpha support for QUIC in Q4/2022 wrapping `quinn-proto`. | |
| Evaluate using `quinn` directly, replacing the wrapper. | |
| ### Automate port-forwarding e.g. via UPnP | |
| | Category | Status | Target Completion | Tracking | Dependencies | Dependents | | |
| |--------------|--------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------| | |
| | Connectivity | done | | https://github.com/libp2p/rust-libp2p/pull/4156 | | | | |
| Leverage protocols like UPnP to configure port-forwarding on ones router when behind NAT and/or firewall. | |
| Another technique in addition to hole punching increasing the probability for a node to become publicly reachable when behind a firewall and/or NAT. | |