@lodestar/beacon-node 1.48.0-dev.67344272c0 → 1.48.0-dev.68ce7b06a0

package/src/chain/archiveStore/archiveStore.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {CheckpointWithHex} from "@lodestar/fork-choice";
 import {LoggerNode} from "@lodestar/logger/node";
+import {SLOTS_PER_EPOCH} from "@lodestar/params";
 import {Checkpoint} from "@lodestar/types/phase0";
 import {callFnWhenAwait} from "@lodestar/utils";
 import {IBeaconDb} from "../../db/index.js";
@@ -208,6 +209,9 @@ export class ArchiveStore {
       const finalizedEpoch = finalized.epoch;
       this.logger.verbose("Start processing finalized checkpoint", {epoch: finalizedEpoch, rootHex: finalized.rootHex});
 
+      // we want to track late imported canonical blocks, but it's not nice to do it at syncig time
+      const isNodeSynced = this.chain.clock.currentSlot - this.chain.forkChoice.getHead().slot <= SLOTS_PER_EPOCH;
+
       let timer = this.metrics?.processFinalizedCheckpoint.durationByTask.startTimer();
       await archiveBlocks(
         this.chain.config,
@@ -217,6 +221,8 @@ export class ArchiveStore {
         this.logger,
         finalized,
         this.chain.clock.currentEpoch,
+        this.metrics,
+        isNodeSynced,
         this.archiveDataEpochs,
         this.chain.opts.persistOrphanedBlocks,
         this.chain.opts.persistOrphanedBlocksDir

package/src/chain/archiveStore/historicalState/metrics.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import {ForkName} from "@lodestar/params";
 import {
   BeaconStateTransitionMetrics,
+  BlockProcessStep,
   EpochTransitionStep,
+  ProcessOperationsStep,
   ProposerRewardType,
   StateCloneSource,
   StateHashTreeRootSource,
@@ -70,10 +72,21 @@ export function createHistoricalStateTransitionMetrics(
     processBlockTime: metricsRegister.histogram({
       name: "lodestar_historical_state_stfn_process_block_seconds",
       help: "Time to process a single block in seconds",
-      // TODO: Add metrics for each step
       // Block processing can take 5-40ms, 100ms max
       buckets: [0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 1],
     }),
+    processBlockStepTime: metricsRegister.histogram<{step: BlockProcessStep}>({
+      name: "lodestar_historical_state_stfn_process_block_step_seconds",
+      help: "Time to call each step of process block in seconds",
+      labelNames: ["step"],
+      buckets: [0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1],
+    }),
+    processOperationsStepTime: metricsRegister.histogram<{step: ProcessOperationsStep}>({
+      name: "lodestar_historical_state_stfn_process_operations_step_seconds",
+      help: "Time to call each step of process operations in seconds",
+      labelNames: ["step"],
+      buckets: [0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1],
+    }),
     processBlockCommitTime: metricsRegister.histogram({
       name: "lodestar_historical_state_stfn_process_block_commit_seconds",
       help: "Time to call commit after process a single block in seconds",

package/src/chain/archiveStore/utils/archiveBlocks.ts

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {Epoch, Slot} from "@lodestar/types";
 import {Logger, fromAsync, fromHex, prettyPrintIndices, toRootHex} from "@lodestar/utils";
 import {IBeaconDb} from "../../../db/index.js";
 import {BlockArchiveBatchPutBinaryItem} from "../../../db/repositories/index.js";
+import {Metrics} from "../../../metrics/metrics.js";
 import {ensureDir, writeIfNotExist} from "../../../util/file.js";
 import {BlockRootHex} from "../../../util/sszBytes.js";
 import {LightClientServer} from "../../lightClient/index.js";
@@ -20,6 +21,16 @@ const BLOB_SIDECAR_BATCH_SIZE = 32;
 
 type BlockRootSlot = {slot: Slot; root: Uint8Array};
 
+/**
+ * Why a finalized-canonical block was imported after the attestation cutoff.
+ */
+export enum LateCanonicalBlockReason {
+  // received on time, but finished importing after the attestation cutoff
+  SlowImport = "slow_import",
+  // block reached this node late on the network thread
+  LateReceive = "late_receive",
+}
+
 /**
  * Persist orphaned block to disk
  */
@@ -54,6 +65,8 @@ export async function archiveBlocks(
   logger: Logger,
   finalizedCheckpoint: CheckpointWithHex,
   currentEpoch: Epoch,
+  metrics: Metrics | null,
+  isNodeSynced: boolean,
   archiveDataEpochs?: number,
   persistOrphanedBlocks?: boolean,
   persistOrphanedBlocksDir?: string
@@ -76,6 +89,29 @@ export async function archiveBlocks(
 
   const logCtx = {currentEpoch, finalizedEpoch: finalizedCheckpoint.epoch, finalizedRoot: finalizedCheckpoint.rootHex};
 
+  // `finalizedCanonicalBlocks` is newest -> oldest; its LAST element is the previous-finalized
+  // boundary block, already audited on the prior run, so exclude it to avoid double counting.
+  if (isNodeSynced && finalizedCanonicalBlocks.length > 1) {
+    const lateBlocks = finalizedCanonicalBlocks.slice(0, -1).filter((block) => !block.importedTimely);
+    if (lateBlocks.length > 0) {
+      let slowImport = 0;
+      for (const block of lateBlocks) {
+        // received late => late_receive; otherwise we had it on time but were slow to import => slow_import
+        const reason = block.timeliness ? LateCanonicalBlockReason.SlowImport : LateCanonicalBlockReason.LateReceive;
+        if (block.timeliness) slowImport++;
+        metrics?.importBlock.lateCanonicalBlock.inc({reason});
+      }
+      const lateSlots = lateBlocks.map((block) => block.slot).sort((a, b) => a - b);
+      logger.verbose("Late imported canonical blocks", {
+        ...logCtx,
+        count: lateBlocks.length,
+        slowImport,
+        lateReceive: lateBlocks.length - slowImport,
+        slotRange: prettyPrintIndices(lateSlots),
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
   if (finalizedCanonicalBlockRoots.length > 0) {
     const migratedSlots = await migrateBlocksFromHotToColdDb(db, logger, finalizedCanonicalBlockRoots);
     logger.verbose("Migrated blocks from hot DB to cold DB", {
@@ -298,7 +334,7 @@ async function migrateBlocksFromHotToColdDb(db: IBeaconDb, logger: Logger, block
     ]);
     for (const entry of canonicalBlockEntries) migratedSlots.push(entry.slot);
   }
-  // Ancestor walk is newest → oldest; sort ascending so `prettyPrintIndices` renders cleanly.
+  // Ancestor walk is newest to oldest; sort ascending so `prettyPrintIndices` renders cleanly.
   return migratedSlots.sort((a, b) => a - b);
 }
 
@@ -437,7 +473,7 @@ async function migrateDataColumnSidecarsFromHotToColdDb(
     await Promise.all(promises);
   }
 
-  // Ancestor walk is newest → oldest; sort ascending so `prettyPrintIndices` renders cleanly.
+  // Ancestor walk is newest to oldest; sort ascending so `prettyPrintIndices` renders cleanly.
   return migratedSlots.sort((a, b) => a - b);
 }
 
@@ -485,7 +521,7 @@ async function migrateExecutionPayloadEnvelopesFromHotToColdDb(
   ]);
 
   // Slots are ascending in hot-db key order — sort to guarantee `prettyPrintIndices` output is clean
-  // regardless of ancestor-walk order (newest → oldest).
+  // regardless of ancestor-walk order (newest to oldest).
   return envelopeEntries.map((entry) => entry.key).sort((a, b) => a - b);
 }
 

package/src/chain/blocks/importBlock.ts

@@ -25,7 +25,17 @@ import {
   isStatePostAltair,
   isStatePostBellatrix,
 } from "@lodestar/state-transition";
-import {Attestation, BeaconBlock, altair, capella, electra, isGloasBeaconBlock, phase0, ssz} from "@lodestar/types";
+import {
+  Attestation,
+  BeaconBlock,
+  Epoch,
+  altair,
+  capella,
+  electra,
+  isGloasBeaconBlock,
+  phase0,
+  ssz,
+} from "@lodestar/types";
 import {isErrorAborted, toRootHex} from "@lodestar/utils";
 import {GENESIS_SLOT, ZERO_HASH_HEX} from "../../constants/index.js";
 import {callInNextEventLoop} from "../../util/eventLoop.js";
@@ -44,6 +54,15 @@ import {getCheckpointFromState} from "./utils/checkpoint.js";
  * Fork-choice allows to import attestations from current (0) or past (1) epoch.
  */
 const FORK_CHOICE_ATT_EPOCH_LIMIT = 1;
+/**
+ * Whether the attestations of a block at `blockEpoch` are imported into fork choice
+ */
+export function importsBlockAttestations(opts: ImportBlockOpts, blockEpoch: Epoch, currentEpoch: Epoch): boolean {
+  return (
+    opts.importAttestations === AttestationImportOpt.Force ||
+    (opts.importAttestations !== AttestationImportOpt.Skip && blockEpoch >= currentEpoch - FORK_CHOICE_ATT_EPOCH_LIMIT)
+  );
+}
 /**
  * Emit eventstream events for block contents events only for blocks that are recent enough to clock
  */
@@ -85,7 +104,7 @@ export async function importBlock(
   const currentEpoch = computeEpochAtSlot(currentSlot);
   const blockEpoch = computeEpochAtSlot(blockSlot);
   const prevFinalizedEpoch = this.forkChoice.getFinalizedCheckpoint().epoch;
-  const blockDelaySec =
+  const receiveDelaySec =
     fullyVerifiedBlock.seenTimestampSec - computeTimeAtSlot(this.config, blockSlot, postState.genesisTime);
   const recvToValLatency = Date.now() / 1000 - (opts.seenTimestampSec ?? Date.now() / 1000);
   const fork = this.config.getForkSeq(blockSlot);
@@ -122,10 +141,12 @@ export async function importBlock(
     executionStatus = parentBlock.executionStatus;
   }
 
+  const importDelaySec = this.clock.secFromSlot(blockSlot);
   const blockSummary = this.forkChoice.onBlock(
     block.message,
     postState,
-    blockDelaySec,
+    receiveDelaySec,
+    importDelaySec,
     currentSlot,
     executionStatus,
     dataAvailabilityStatus
@@ -147,10 +168,7 @@ export async function importBlock(
   // Only process attestations of blocks with relevant attestations for the fork-choice:
   // If current epoch is N, and block is epoch X, block may include attestations for epoch X or X - 1.
   // The latest block that is useful is at epoch N - 1 which may include attestations for epoch N - 1 or N - 2.
-  if (
-    opts.importAttestations === AttestationImportOpt.Force ||
-    (opts.importAttestations !== AttestationImportOpt.Skip && blockEpoch >= currentEpoch - FORK_CHOICE_ATT_EPOCH_LIMIT)
-  ) {
+  if (importsBlockAttestations(opts, blockEpoch, currentEpoch)) {
     const attestations = block.message.body.attestations;
     const rootCache = new RootCache(postState);
     const invalidAttestationErrorsByCode = new Map<string, {error: Error; count: number}>();
@@ -506,19 +524,6 @@ export async function importBlock(
         this.metrics?.previousJustifiedEpoch.set(checkpointState.previousJustifiedCheckpoint.epoch);
         this.metrics?.currentJustifiedEpoch.set(justifiedCheckpoint.epoch);
       }
-      const finalizedCheckpoint = checkpointState.finalizedCheckpoint;
-      const finalizedEpoch = finalizedCheckpoint.epoch;
-      const preFinalizedEpoch = parentBlockSummary.finalizedEpoch;
-      if (finalizedEpoch > preFinalizedEpoch) {
-        this.emitter.emit(routes.events.EventType.finalizedCheckpoint, {
-          block: toRootHex(finalizedCheckpoint.root),
-          epoch: finalizedCheckpoint.epoch,
-          state: toRootHex(checkpointState.hashTreeRoot()),
-          executionOptimistic: false,
-        });
-        this.logger.verbose("Checkpoint finalized", toCheckpointHex(finalizedCheckpoint));
-        this.metrics?.finalizedEpoch.set(finalizedCheckpoint.epoch);
-      }
     }
   }
 

package/src/chain/blocks/index.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import {PayloadStatus} from "@lodestar/fork-choice";
+import {computeEpochAtSlot} from "@lodestar/state-transition";
 import {SignedBeaconBlock, Slot} from "@lodestar/types";
 import {isErrorAborted, toRootHex} from "@lodestar/utils";
 import {Metrics} from "../../metrics/metrics.js";
@@ -5,15 +7,17 @@ import {nextEventLoop} from "../../util/eventLoop.js";
 import {JobItemQueue, isQueueErrorAborted} from "../../util/queue/index.js";
 import type {BeaconChain} from "../chain.js";
 import {BlockError, BlockErrorCode, isBlockErrorAborted} from "../errors/index.js";
+import {ForkchoiceCaller} from "../forkChoice/index.js";
 import {BlockProcessOpts} from "../options.js";
 import {IBlockInput} from "./blockInput/types.js";
-import {importBlock} from "./importBlock.js";
+import {importBlock, importsBlockAttestations} from "./importBlock.js";
 import {PayloadError, importExecutionPayload} from "./importExecutionPayload.js";
 import {PayloadEnvelopeInput} from "./payloadEnvelopeInput/payloadEnvelopeInput.js";
-import {FullyVerifiedBlock, ImportBlockOpts} from "./types.js";
-import {assertLinearChainSegment} from "./utils/chainSegment.js";
+import {FullyVerifiedBlock, ImportBlockOpts, ProcessBlocksResult} from "./types.js";
+import {OrphanedPayloadEnvelope, assertLinearChainSegment} from "./utils/chainSegment.js";
 import {verifyBlocksInEpoch} from "./verifyBlock.js";
 import {verifyBlocksSanityChecks} from "./verifyBlocksSanityChecks.js";
+import {verifyPayloadsDataAvailability} from "./verifyPayloadsDataAvailability.js";
 
 export {AttestationImportOpt, type ImportBlockOpts} from "./types.js";
 
@@ -23,10 +27,16 @@ const QUEUE_MAX_LENGTH = 256;
  * BlockProcessor processes block jobs in a queued fashion, one after the other.
  */
 export class BlockProcessor {
-  readonly jobQueue: JobItemQueue<[IBlockInput[], Map<Slot, PayloadEnvelopeInput> | null, ImportBlockOpts], void>;
+  readonly jobQueue: JobItemQueue<
+    [IBlockInput[], Map<Slot, PayloadEnvelopeInput> | null, ImportBlockOpts],
+    ProcessBlocksResult
+  >;
 
   constructor(chain: BeaconChain, metrics: Metrics | null, opts: BlockProcessOpts, signal: AbortSignal) {
-    this.jobQueue = new JobItemQueue<[IBlockInput[], Map<Slot, PayloadEnvelopeInput> | null, ImportBlockOpts], void>(
+    this.jobQueue = new JobItemQueue<
+      [IBlockInput[], Map<Slot, PayloadEnvelopeInput> | null, ImportBlockOpts],
+      ProcessBlocksResult
+    >(
       (job, payloadEnvelopes, importOpts) => {
         return processBlocks.call(chain, job, payloadEnvelopes, {...opts, ...importOpts});
       },
@@ -39,8 +49,8 @@ export class BlockProcessor {
     job: IBlockInput[],
     payloadEnvelopes: Map<Slot, PayloadEnvelopeInput> | null,
     opts: ImportBlockOpts = {}
-  ): Promise<void> {
-    await this.jobQueue.push(job, payloadEnvelopes, opts);
+  ): Promise<ProcessBlocksResult> {
+    return this.jobQueue.push(job, payloadEnvelopes, opts);
   }
 }
 
@@ -59,9 +69,10 @@ export async function processBlocks(
   blocks: IBlockInput[],
   payloadEnvelopes: Map<Slot, PayloadEnvelopeInput> | null,
   opts: BlockProcessOpts & ImportBlockOpts
-): Promise<void> {
+): Promise<ProcessBlocksResult> {
+  const emptyResult: ProcessBlocksResult = {orphaned: [], skipped: false};
   if (blocks.length === 0) {
-    return; // TODO: or throw?
+    return emptyResult; // TODO: or throw?
   }
 
   try {
@@ -70,7 +81,7 @@ export async function processBlocks(
     // No relevant blocks, skip verifyBlocksInEpoch()
     if (relevantBlocks.length === 0 || parentBlock === null) {
       // parentBlock can only be null if relevantBlocks are empty
-      return;
+      return await importPayloadEnvelopesOfKnownBlocks.call(this, payloadEnvelopes, opts);
     }
 
     const {warnings: orphanedPayloads} = assertLinearChainSegment(
@@ -79,12 +90,21 @@ export async function processBlocks(
       payloadEnvelopes,
       parentBlock
     );
-    if (orphanedPayloads != null) {
-      for (const orphaned of orphanedPayloads) {
-        this.logger.debug("Orphaned payload envelope in chain segment", {
-          slot: orphaned.slot,
-          blockRoot: orphaned.payloadEnvelopeInput.blockRootHex,
-        });
+    // Orphaned payloads of recent blocks are still imported, a reorg of the child could make the payload canonical
+    // again and later blocks build on it. Older ones are skipped: without the block attestations the orphaned FULL
+    // variant has no descendants and ties at zero weight with the EMPTY variant carrying the chain, the payload
+    // status tiebreaker then picks FULL and parks the head there.
+    const blockEpoch = computeEpochAtSlot(relevantBlocks[0].getBlock().message.slot);
+    const importsAttestations = importsBlockAttestations(opts, blockEpoch, this.clock.currentEpoch);
+    const skipped = orphanedPayloads != null && payloadEnvelopes !== null && !importsAttestations;
+    let payloadEnvelopesToImport = payloadEnvelopes;
+    if (skipped) {
+      payloadEnvelopesToImport = new Map(payloadEnvelopes);
+      for (const orphaned of orphanedPayloads ?? []) {
+        payloadEnvelopesToImport.delete(orphaned.slot);
+        // never validated, drop it from the shared cache so it is not served to peers, by-root sync reloads the
+        // entry from db if the payload is ever needed
+        this.seenPayloadEnvelopeInputCache.prune(orphaned.payloadEnvelopeInput.blockRootHex);
       }
     }
 
@@ -97,7 +117,7 @@ export async function processBlocks(
       proposerBalanceDeltas,
       segmentExecStatus,
       indexedAttestationsByBlock,
-    } = await verifyBlocksInEpoch.call(this, parentBlock, relevantBlocks, payloadEnvelopes, opts);
+    } = await verifyBlocksInEpoch.call(this, parentBlock, relevantBlocks, payloadEnvelopesToImport, opts);
 
     // If segmentExecStatus has lvhForkchoice then, the entire segment should be invalid
     // and we need to further propagate
@@ -132,8 +152,8 @@ export async function processBlocks(
     }
 
     const slotSet = new Set<Slot>(blocks.map((b) => b.getBlock().message.slot));
-    if (payloadEnvelopes) {
-      for (const slot of payloadEnvelopes.keys()) slotSet.add(slot);
+    if (payloadEnvelopesToImport) {
+      for (const slot of payloadEnvelopesToImport.keys()) slotSet.add(slot);
     }
     const slots = Array.from(slotSet).sort((a, b) => a - b);
     for (const slot of slots) {
@@ -146,7 +166,7 @@ export async function processBlocks(
       // PayloadEnvelopeInput is shared and may receive an envelope after the DA snapshot was taken.
       const payloadDA = payloadDAStatuses.get(slot);
       if (payloadDA !== undefined) {
-        const payloadInput = payloadEnvelopes?.get(slot);
+        const payloadInput = payloadEnvelopesToImport?.get(slot);
         if (payloadInput === undefined) {
           throw new Error(`Missing payload input for slot ${slot} after DA verification`);
         }
@@ -159,9 +179,11 @@ export async function processBlocks(
 
       await nextEventLoop();
     }
+
+    return {orphaned: orphanedPayloads ?? [], skipped};
   } catch (e) {
     if (isErrorAborted(e) || isQueueErrorAborted(e) || isBlockErrorAborted(e)) {
-      return; // Ignore
+      return emptyResult; // Ignore
     }
 
     // above functions should only throw BlockError, or PayloadError from the gloas payload import
@@ -187,8 +209,19 @@ export async function processBlocks(
         const blockSlot = signedBlock.message.slot;
         const {state} = err.type;
         const forkTypes = this.config.getForkTypes(blockSlot);
-        this.persistInvalidSszValue(forkTypes.SignedBeaconBlock, signedBlock, `${blockSlot}_invalid_signature`);
-        this.persistInvalidSszBytes("BeaconState", state.serialize(), `${state.slot}_invalid_signature`);
+        const blockRootHex = toRootHex(forkTypes.BeaconBlock.hashTreeRoot(signedBlock.message));
+        this.persistInvalidSszValue(
+          forkTypes.SignedBeaconBlock,
+          signedBlock,
+          `${blockSlot}_invalid_signature`,
+          blockRootHex
+        );
+        this.persistInvalidSszBytes(
+          "BeaconState",
+          state.serialize(),
+          toRootHex(state.hashTreeRoot()),
+          `${state.slot}_invalid_signature`
+        );
       } else if (err.type.code === BlockErrorCode.INVALID_STATE_ROOT) {
         const {signedBlock} = err;
         const blockSlot = signedBlock.message.slot;
@@ -209,6 +242,70 @@ export async function processBlocks(
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * A peer can serve a block without its envelope, the block is then imported with a PENDING payload. Later batches
+ * carry the envelope but all their blocks are known, without importing it here every child building on the FULL
+ * variant fails with PARENT_PAYLOAD_UNKNOWN and range sync never progresses. If our head already descends from the
+ * block's EMPTY variant the chain did not build on the payload, importing it would only add a dead FULL leaf. As for
+ * orphaned payloads in a segment this only applies while the block attestations are not imported, a recent payload
+ * is imported anyway so a reorg building on it does not have to fetch it through unknown block sync.
+ */
+async function importPayloadEnvelopesOfKnownBlocks(
+  this: BeaconChain,
+  payloadEnvelopes: Map<Slot, PayloadEnvelopeInput> | null,
+  opts: ImportBlockOpts
+): Promise<ProcessBlocksResult> {
+  if (payloadEnvelopes === null) {
+    return {orphaned: [], skipped: false};
+  }
+
+  const head = this.forkChoice.getHead();
+  const currentEpoch = this.clock.currentEpoch;
+  const payloadInputs: PayloadEnvelopeInput[] = [];
+  const orphaned: OrphanedPayloadEnvelope[] = [];
+  for (const payloadInput of payloadEnvelopes.values()) {
+    const {blockRootHex, slot} = payloadInput;
+    if (
+      !payloadInput.hasPayloadEnvelope() ||
+      !this.forkChoice.hasBlockHex(blockRootHex) ||
+      this.forkChoice.getBlockHexAndBlockHash(blockRootHex, payloadInput.getBlockHashHex()) !== null
+    ) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (
+      head.blockRoot !== blockRootHex &&
+      !importsBlockAttestations(opts, computeEpochAtSlot(slot), currentEpoch) &&
+      this.forkChoice.isDescendant(blockRootHex, PayloadStatus.EMPTY, head.blockRoot, head.payloadStatus)
+    ) {
+      // never validated, see processBlocks()
+      this.seenPayloadEnvelopeInputCache.prune(blockRootHex);
+      orphaned.push({slot, payloadEnvelopeInput: payloadInput});
+      continue;
+    }
+    payloadInputs.push(payloadInput);
+  }
+
+  // orphaned envelopes on this path are always skipped, range sync logs them with peer/client context
+  const result: ProcessBlocksResult = {orphaned, skipped: orphaned.length > 0};
+
+  if (payloadInputs.length === 0) {
+    return result;
+  }
+
+  const {dataAvailabilityStatuses} = await verifyPayloadsDataAvailability(payloadInputs, new AbortController().signal);
+  for (let i = 0; i < payloadInputs.length; i++) {
+    this.logger.debug("Importing payload envelope of known block", {
+      slot: payloadInputs[i].slot,
+      blockRoot: payloadInputs[i].blockRootHex,
+    });
+    await importExecutionPayload.call(this, payloadInputs[i], dataAvailabilityStatuses[i], {validSignature: false});
+  }
+  // the new FULL variants are not seen by the head cached from the last block import
+  this.recomputeForkChoiceHead(ForkchoiceCaller.importBlock);
+
+  return result;
+}
+
 function getBlockOrPayloadError(e: unknown, block: SignedBeaconBlock): BlockError | PayloadError {
   if (e instanceof BlockError) {
     return e;

package/src/chain/blocks/types.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {ForkSeq} from "@lodestar/params";
 import {DataAvailabilityStatus, IBeaconStateView, computeEpochAtSlot} from "@lodestar/state-transition";
 import type {IndexedAttestation, Slot, fulu} from "@lodestar/types";
 import {IBlockInput} from "./blockInput/types.js";
+import {OrphanedPayloadEnvelope} from "./utils/chainSegment.js";
 
 export enum GossipedInputType {
   block = "block",
@@ -110,3 +111,11 @@ export type FullyVerifiedBlock = {
   /** If the execution payload couldn't be verified because of EL syncing status, used in optimistic sync */
   executionStatus: BlockExecutionStatus | PayloadExecutionStatus;
 };
+
+/**
+ * Result of processing a chain segment.
+ */
+export type ProcessBlocksResult = {
+  orphaned: OrphanedPayloadEnvelope[];
+  skipped: boolean;
+};

package/src/chain/blocks/utils/chainSegment.ts

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export type ChainSegmentResult = {warnings: OrphanedPayloadEnvelope[] | null};
  * - Verifies parent root + slot linearity
  * - For gloas: verifies bid.parentBlockHash matches the tracked execution hash; if not, the
  *   previous FULL envelope is treated as orphaned (segment continues as if previous slot was EMPTY)
- * - If an envelope exists for this slot: verifies it references this block's root
+ * - If an envelope exists for this slot (or the parent's slot): verifies it references this block's root
  * - Advances the tracked execution hash (FULL if envelope present, EMPTY if not)
  */
 export function assertLinearChainSegment(
@@ -37,17 +37,6 @@ export function assertLinearChainSegment(
 
   const warnings: OrphanedPayloadEnvelope[] = [];
 
-  let parentExecHash: string | null = parentBlock?.executionPayloadBlockHash ?? null;
-  if (parentBlock !== null) {
-    const parentPayloadInput = payloadEnvelopes?.get(parentBlock.slot);
-    if (parentPayloadInput?.hasPayloadEnvelope()) {
-      // Checkpoint-sync first batch: the anchor is stored PENDING with the inherited (grandparent)
-      // hash, not its own payload. Its payload envelope is in this batch, so use that blockHash as
-      // the real parent EL head.
-      parentExecHash = parentPayloadInput.getBlockHashHex();
-    }
-  }
-
   // Track the expected execution payload block hash through the segment, seeded from the FIRST
   // block's own bid
   const firstBlockMessage = blocks[0].getBlock().message;
@@ -55,6 +44,31 @@ export function assertLinearChainSegment(
     ? toRootHex(firstBlockMessage.body.signedExecutionPayloadBid.message.parentBlockHash)
     : null;
 
+  let parentExecHash: string | null = parentBlock?.executionPayloadBlockHash ?? null;
+  if (parentBlock !== null) {
+    const parentPayloadInput = payloadEnvelopes?.get(parentBlock.slot);
+    if (parentPayloadInput?.hasPayloadEnvelope()) {
+      // Envelopes are served by slot, the one at the parent's slot must reference the parent block. Without this
+      // check an envelope of a sibling block is taken as orphaned and only fails downstream in the payload import
+      if (parentPayloadInput.blockRootHex !== parentBlock.blockRoot) {
+        throw new BlockError(blocks[0].getBlock(), {
+          code: BlockErrorCode.ENVELOPE_BLOCK_ROOT_MISMATCH,
+          envelopeBlockRoot: parentPayloadInput.blockRootHex,
+          blockRoot: parentBlock.blockRoot,
+        });
+      }
+      const parentPayloadBlockHash = parentPayloadInput.getBlockHashHex();
+      if (currentExecHash === parentPayloadBlockHash) {
+        // Checkpoint-sync first batch: the anchor is stored PENDING with the inherited (grandparent)
+        // hash, its own payload is in this batch and is the real parent EL head
+        parentExecHash = parentPayloadBlockHash;
+      } else {
+        // First block builds on the parent's EMPTY variant, the parent's payload in this batch is orphaned
+        warnings.push({slot: parentBlock.slot, payloadEnvelopeInput: parentPayloadInput});
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   // First block must build on the parent's EL head. PARENT_PAYLOAD_UNKNOWN (vs the in-segment
   // NON_LINEAR_PAYLOAD_ROOTS below) tells range sync this is a parent-link problem, not an in-batch one.
   if (parentExecHash !== null && currentExecHash !== null && currentExecHash !== parentExecHash) {