What is an Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP)?

An Ethereum Improvement Proposal describes a proposed change and its rationale. Some concern core protocol rules; others define standards for applications or tools. Core changes require wider coordination than simply agreeing on a document.

Ethereum’s introduction to EIPs distinguishes proposals from their adoption. Completing a specification, building the software and activating a change are separate steps. The EIP-1 process sets out document states and submission rules.

Example: a proposed fee change

Suppose a developer publishes a hypothetical EIP to change how network fees are calculated. While the document is a Draft, wallets do not start paying different fees merely because it exists. A core change needs review, implementation and activation through the relevant upgrade; even a Final specification alone is not evidence of mainnet activation.

An EIP number does not identify a token or investment product. Nor does Vitalik Buterin’s role as a co-founder let him activate proposals unilaterally. Authorship and authority over a network are different things.