Module payload_validator 

Types and traits for validating blocks and payloads.

Validation pipeline

When the engine processes a new payload (engine_newPayload), validation happens in phases:

Phase 1 – Payload conversion

PayloadValidator::convert_payload_to_block decodes the execution payload (RLP, hashing) into a SealedBlock. This runs on a background thread concurrently with state setup.

Phase 2 – Pre-execution consensus

• HeaderValidator::validate_header — standalone header checks (hash, gas, base fee, fork-specific fields)
• Consensus::validate_block_pre_execution — body vs header (tx root, ommer hash, withdrawals root)
• HeaderValidator::validate_header_against_parent — sequential checks (block number, timestamp, gas limit, base fee vs parent)

Phase 3 – Execution

Block transactions are executed via the EVM. Receipt roots are computed incrementally.

Phase 4 – Post-execution consensus

• FullConsensus::validate_block_post_execution — gas used, receipt root, logs bloom, requests hash
• PayloadValidator::validate_block_post_execution_with_hashed_state — network-specific (no-op on L1, used by OP Stack)

Payload attributes validation (engine_forkchoiceUpdated)

When the CL provides payload attributes to start building a block:

• PayloadValidator::validate_payload_attributes_against_header — ensures timestamp ordering

If validation passes, a payload build job is started. If it fails, INVALID_PAYLOAD_ATTRIBUTES is returned without rolling back the forkchoice update.

Structs

BasicEngineValidator

A helper type that provides reusable payload validation logic for network-specific validators.

TreeCtx

Context providing access to tree state during validation.

Enums

BlockOrPayload

Enum representing either block or payload being validated.

Traits

EngineValidator

Type that validates the payloads processed by the engine.

Type Aliases

ValidationOutcome

Output of block or payload validation.