SIMD-0158: Relax Precompile Failure Constraint

Author: jstarry

proposals/0158-relax-precompile-failure-constraint.md

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+---
+simd: 'XXXX'
+title: Relax Precompile Failure Constraint
+authors: Justin Starry (Anza)
+category: Standard
+type: Core
+status: Draft
+created: 2024-07-25
+feature: (fill in with feature tracking issues once accepted)
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+The Solana protocol currently prohibits block producers from including transactions
+with precompile instructions that fail verification. This constraint is not ideal
+since block producers have to do work to verify precompiles without a guarantee
+that they can receive a fee from the transaction.
+
+## Motivation
+
+Ensure that block producers are sufficiently incentivized to include transactions
+which make use of precompile instructions by allowing such transactions to be
+included in a block even if verification fails.
+
+## Alternatives Considered
+
+NA
+
+## New Terminology
+
+NA
+
+## Detailed Design
+
+The Solana protocol will no longer reject blocks with transactions that have
+failed precompile verification. Such transactions will be allowed to be recorded
+in a block and verification failures should be handled similarly to how SVM
+program instruction failures are handled. The transaction will be included, fees
+deducted, but no other account state changes should be persisted.
+
+## Impact
+
+End users that submit transactions with invalid precompile instructions will now
+be able to see clearly in explorers and other tooling that their transactions
+failed rather than those transactions being dropped. They will also be charged
+fees for such transactions.
+
+Block producers can be assured that compute time spent on verifying precompiles
+will be compensated with fees.
+
+## Security Considerations
+
+NA
+
+## Drawbacks *(Optional)*
+
+NA
+
+## Backwards Compatibility *(Optional)*
+
+This change will require the use of a new feature gate which will remove
+the precompile failure constraint from produced blocks.