ROADMAP.md

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.

Kademlia client mode

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Optimization	in progress	Q1/2023	libp2p#2032	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	todo	Q2/2023	libp2p#2883

We added alpha support for QUIC in Q4/2022 wrapping quinn-proto. Evaluate using quinn directly, replacing the wrapper.

Attempt to switch from webrtc-rs to str0m

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Connectivity	todo		libp2p#3659

Reduce maintenance burden and reduce dependency footprint.

Optimize Hole punching

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Optimization	todo	Q2/2023

We released hole punching support with rust-libp2p v0.43.0, see also libp2p#2052. We are currently collecting data via the punchr project on the hole punching success rate. See also call for action 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	Q3/2023	libp2p#2617		WebRTC

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 support (browser-to-browser)

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Connectivity	todo	Q3/2023	libp2p/specs#475	Improved WASM support, libp2p/specs#497

Once WebRTC for browser-to-server is complete, we can begin work on browser-to-browser and complete the WebRTC connectivity story. We need to improve rust-libp2p's WASM story first.

WebTransport

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Connectivity / optimization	todo		libp2p#2993	QUIC

A WebTransport implementation in rust-libp2p will enable browsers to connect to rust-libp2p nodes where the latter only have a self-signed TLS certificate. Compared to WebRTC, this would likely be more performant. It is dependent on QUIC support in rust-libp2p. Given that we will support WebRTC (browser-to-server) this is not a high priority.

Automate port-forwarding e.g. via UPnP

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Connectivity	todo		libp2p#3903

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.

Done

Alpha QUIC support

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Connectivity	Done	Q4/2022	libp2p#2883	libp2p/test-plans#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 libp2p#2289.

WebRTC support (browser-to-server)

Category	Status	Target Completion	Tracking	Dependencies	Dependents
Connectivity	Done	Q4/2022	libp2p/specs#412	libp2p/test-plans#100	WebRTC (browser-to-browser)

We are currently implementing WebRTC for browser-to-server connectivity in libp2p#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 libp2p/specs#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	libp2p#2712

Users of rust-libp2p like 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	libp2p#2824

Today connection management functionality in rust-libp2p is limited. Building abstractions on top is cumbersome and inefficient. See libp2p#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	libp2p#2680	libp2p#2832	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.