# 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. We believe the roadmap should be shaped by the needs of our user community. Many of the items below are contributions made by downstream users.
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 the 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.

