dashpay · PastaPastaPasta · Aug 31, 2026 · coderabbitai · Sep 1, 2026
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::rpc::prefetch::CorePrefetcher;
 use dpp::dashcore::ephemerealdata::chain_lock::ChainLock;
 use dpp::dashcore::{Block, BlockHash, QuorumHash, Transaction, Txid};
 use dpp::dashcore::{Header, InstantLock};
@@ -131,6 +132,9 @@ pub trait CoreRPCLike {
 /// Default implementation of Dash Core RPC using DashCoreRPC client
 pub struct DefaultCoreRPC {
     inner: Client,
+    /// Speculative fetcher for the next core height, on its own connection.
+    /// `None` when a second connection could not be opened.
+    prefetcher: Option<CorePrefetcher>,
 }
 
 // TODO: Create errors for these error codes in dashcore_rpc
@@ -206,8 +210,13 @@ macro_rules! retry {
 impl DefaultCoreRPC {
     /// Create new instance
     pub fn open(url: &str, username: String, password: String) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let prefetcher = CorePrefetcher::new(url, username.clone(), password.clone());
+        if prefetcher.is_none() {
+            tracing::warn!("could not open a second Core RPC connection; block sync will fetch masternode and quorum updates on the critical path");
+        }
         Ok(DefaultCoreRPC {
             inner: Client::new(url, Auth::UserPass(username, password))?,
+            prefetcher,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -270,7 +279,24 @@ impl CoreRPCLike for DefaultCoreRPC {
         &self,
         height: Option<CoreHeight>,
     ) -> Result<ExtendedQuorumListResult, Error> {
-        retry!(self.inner.get_quorum_listextended_reversed(height))
+        // Block sync walks core heights in order, so the next call is almost
+        // always for height + 1. Take the speculative answer when it is for the
+        // height we were asked about, and start the next guess either way.
+        let prefetched = height
+            .zip(self.prefetcher.as_ref())
+            .and_then(|(height, prefetcher)| prefetcher.take_quorum_list(height));
+
+        let result = match prefetched {
+            Some(list) => Ok(list),
+            None => retry!(self.inner.get_quorum_listextended_reversed(height)),
+        };
+
+        if let (Ok(_), Some(height), Some(prefetcher)) = (&result, height, self.prefetcher.as_ref())
+        {
+            prefetcher.start_quorum_list(height + 1);
+        }
+
+        result
     }
 
     fn get_quorum_info(
@@ -289,9 +315,25 @@ impl CoreRPCLike for DefaultCoreRPC {
         base_block: Option<u32>,
         block: u32,
     ) -> Result<MasternodeListDiff, Error> {
-        retry!(self
-            .inner
-            .get_protx_listdiff(base_block.unwrap_or(1), block))
+        let base = base_block.unwrap_or(1);
+
+        // Same reasoning as get_quorum_listextended: the next diff a syncing
+        // node asks for is from this block to the one after it.
+        let prefetched = self
+            .prefetcher
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(|prefetcher| prefetcher.take_protx_diff(base, block));
+
+        let result = match prefetched {
+            Some(diff) => Ok(diff),
+            None => retry!(self.inner.get_protx_listdiff(base, block)),
+        };
+
+        if let (Ok(_), Some(prefetcher)) = (&result, self.prefetcher.as_ref()) {
+            prefetcher.start_protx_diff(block, block + 1);
+        }
+
+        result
     }
 
     /// Verify Instant Lock signature

@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 /// Dash Core RPC
 pub mod core;
+
+/// Speculative Core RPC fetching for consecutive core heights
+pub mod prefetch;
 /// Core signatures verification
 pub mod signature;
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+//! Speculative fetching of the two Core RPC responses a block needs when the
+//! core chain-locked height advances.
+//!
+//! Replaying mainnet history, roughly every other Platform block advances the
+//! core height by one, and each of those blocks blocks on `protx listdiff` and
+//! `quorum listextended` in turn — about a millisecond of the seven a block
+//! costs. The heights are consecutive, so the answer for the next one can be
+//! fetched while the current block is still executing.
+//!
+//! Two things keep this from misbehaving at the tip, where the next core block
+//! does not exist yet: the speculative call runs on its own connection, so it
+//! never delays a real one, and a failed guess backs the prefetcher off for a
+//! while instead of asking Core for a block it does not have on every block.
+
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, Ordering};
+use std::sync::mpsc::{sync_channel, Receiver};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+use dpp::dashcore_rpc::dashcore_rpc_json::{ExtendedQuorumListResult, MasternodeListDiff};
+use dpp::dashcore_rpc::{Auth, Client, Error as CoreError, RpcApi};
+
+/// How many calls to skip after a speculative fetch fails. A failure means the
+/// guessed height is not on Core's chain yet, which is the steady state at the
+/// tip, and asking again on the next block would just repeat the error.
+const BACKOFF_CALLS: u32 = 32;
+
+struct Pending<K, T> {
+    key: K,
+    result: Receiver<Result<T, CoreError>>,
+}
+
+/// Holds one in-flight speculative fetch of each kind.
+pub struct CorePrefetcher {
+    client: Arc<Client>,
+    quorum_list: Mutex<Option<Pending<u32, ExtendedQuorumListResult>>>,
+    protx_diff: Mutex<Option<Pending<(u32, u32), MasternodeListDiff>>>,
+    /// Calls left to skip before speculating again after a failure.
+    backoff: AtomicU32,
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Debug for CorePrefetcher {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.write_str("CorePrefetcher")
+    }
+}
+
+impl CorePrefetcher {
+    /// Opens a second connection to Core for speculative calls. Returns `None`
+    /// if it cannot be opened; prefetching is an optimisation, and a node that
+    /// cannot open it should still run.
+    pub fn new(url: &str, username: String, password: String) -> Option<Self> {
+        let client = Client::new(url, Auth::UserPass(username, password)).ok()?;
+        Some(CorePrefetcher {
+            client: Arc::new(client),
+            quorum_list: Mutex::new(None),
+            protx_diff: Mutex::new(None),
+            backoff: AtomicU32::new(0),
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn may_speculate(&self) -> bool {
+        let left = self.backoff.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+        if left == 0 {
+            return true;
+        }
+        self.backoff.store(left - 1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn note_failure(&self) {
+        self.backoff.store(BACKOFF_CALLS, Ordering::Relaxed);
+    }
+
+    /// Takes the speculative quorum list for `height`, if one was started and
+    /// succeeded. Blocks until the in-flight call finishes.
+    pub fn take_quorum_list(&self, height: u32) -> Option<ExtendedQuorumListResult> {
+        let pending = self.quorum_list.lock().ok()?.take()?;
+        if pending.key != height {
+            return None;
+        }
+        match pending.result.recv().ok()? {
+            Ok(list) => Some(list),
+            Err(_) => {
+                self.note_failure();
+                None
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Starts fetching the quorum list for `height` in the background.
+    pub fn start_quorum_list(&self, height: u32) {
+        if !self.may_speculate() {
+            return;
+        }
+        let Ok(mut slot) = self.quorum_list.lock() else {
+            return;
+        };
+        let (tx, rx) = sync_channel(1);
+        let client = Arc::clone(&self.client);
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let _ = tx.send(client.get_quorum_listextended_reversed(Some(height)));
+        });
+        *slot = Some(Pending {
+            key: height,
+            result: rx,
+        });
+    }
+
+    /// Takes the speculative masternode list diff for `base -> block`, if one
+    /// was started and succeeded.
+    pub fn take_protx_diff(&self, base: u32, block: u32) -> Option<MasternodeListDiff> {
+        let pending = self.protx_diff.lock().ok()?.take()?;
+        if pending.key != (base, block) {
+            return None;
+        }
+        match pending.result.recv().ok()? {
+            Ok(diff) => Some(diff),
+            Err(_) => {
+                self.note_failure();
+                None
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Starts fetching the masternode list diff `base -> block` in the background.
+    pub fn start_protx_diff(&self, base: u32, block: u32) {
+        if !self.may_speculate() {
+            return;
+        }
+        let Ok(mut slot) = self.protx_diff.lock() else {
+            return;
+        };
+        let (tx, rx) = sync_channel(1);
+        let client = Arc::clone(&self.client);
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let _ = tx.send(client.get_protx_listdiff(base, block));
+        });
+        *slot = Some(Pending {
+            key: (base, block),
+            result: rx,
+        });
+    }
+}