Consider using ESM-style modules

[TimDaub]

• Since a while nodejs has shipped ESM-style modules e.g. docs from node 16: https://nodejs.org/api/esm.html#esm_modules_ecmascript_modules
• ESM-style modules can be made backwards compatible with traditional require syntax using createRequire: https://nodejs.org/api/module.html#module_module_createrequire_filename

Is it safe already?

• I'm the maintainer of a few ESM-style packages, e.g. https://github.com/rugpullindex/eth-fun
• There are occasional hickups and some standard things e.g. __dirname have to be worked around. Generally though ESM works already really well and has some nice benefits and tooling already as well e.g. esmock or quibble.

What are others saying?

• if it's any indication, https://github.com/sindresorhus has also started converting all packages to ESM-style and so I'd guess the nodejs ecosystem will move there over the long term.

Why do it now and not later?

The smaller the code base, the less opinionated module usage. I think for now the task is rather simple. It can become more complex over time (technical debt).