PDP/mid tier (F1): persistent cache + pinning + block-submit + install-time tier [needs live soak]

[Reiers]

The PDP / mid node tier (= F1 verifying-follower) landed on branch fix/lightnode-messages-2026-07-01 (not yet pushed). This tracks what shipped + the remaining live-verification gate.

Shipped (code, unit+race tested, full suite green)

• Persistent bounded Badger block cache state/cache (2-5 GB, LRU + pins, survives restart) + daemon wiring + stats.
• Warm-set pinning: prefetcher pins STATIC contract subtrees (PDP/payments/registry/USDFC) so restart is warm, not just persistent. Dynamic (client-learned) addrs deliberately not pinned.
• Full write surface incl. block production: wired the previously-discarded /fil/blocks publisher into both embedded daemon + CLI, so a PDP node can double as a backup block producer. (Block production still needs a VM bridge for a valid state root — the no-CGo wall.)
• Install-time node-type (Light/PDP/Full) via pkg/nodeprofile + lantern node-type cmd + install.sh 3-way selector. Tier is an install-time property, NOT a runtime flag — light node stays light.

FEVM / PDP RPC surface: verified complete

All eth_* + State* methods the Curio PDP prove/settle loop calls are implemented and local/bridge-off (StateCall, eth_call, eth_getStorageAt/Code/Logs, eth_sendRawTransaction, eth_getTransactionReceipt, StateSearchMsg, StateWaitMsg, MpoolPush, etc.).

Remaining gate (honest "not done")

• Live bridge-off add-piece -> prove -> settle soak ([Tracking] Lantern bridge-off parity for stock Curio (maxboom / PR #1311) #76 acceptance gate) on this branch. The June-25 mainnet proof ran against the shipped Lantern, NOT this branch's new cache/pinning/block-submit code. "PDP node complete" is a code claim until this soak runs.