Testing Phase for Ethereum Dencun Upgrade Set to Begin on January 17
The upcoming Ethereum upgrade, known as Dencun, will enter its testing phase on January 17, according to a note on the official Ethereum GitHub repository. The Goerli testnet will be the first to receive the upgrade, followed by the Sepolia and Holesky testnets in the coming weeks. The exact timing of the upgrade’s mainnet rollout has not been announced yet.
The upgrade was originally scheduled for Q4 2023 but was postponed to 2024 due to engineering difficulties. Tim Beiko, the Ethereum Foundation’s protocol support head, mentioned that the deadline is flexible and subject to change if significant problems arise. To give stakeholders enough time to prepare for the upgrade, the team plans to publish a blog post about the fork during the week of January 8, 2024.
What Does Dencun Mean?
The name “Dencun” comes from combining Deneb, a star, and Cancun, a city. These names are used for their consensus layer client upgrades and execution layer client upgrades, respectively. The update will introduce EIP-4844 (Proto Dank Sharding), which aims to lower costs and provide additional functionality like staking pools and bridges. It also restricts the use of self-destruct functions in smart contracts.
The Option To Abort
If a severe problem or unexpected issue is discovered, there is an option to cancel the upgrade. The team aims to publish the fork’s blog post during the first week of January, giving users at least one week to make their updates. Tim Beiko stated that they can always cancel if a major issue arises before then.
Dencun: Technical Aspect
EIP-4844, also known as “proto-danksharding,” is a key component of the Dencun upgrade. It introduces a new format called “blobs,” which allows layer-2 rollup networks to temporarily store specific transaction data. Unlike the current practice of permanently storing data in the blockchain’s “CALLDATA” field, blobs have an 18-day deletion period. This proposal is expected to significantly reduce layer 2 transaction fees.
The testing phase for Ethereum updates typically lasts several months before the mainnet rollout. The previous deployment, code-named “Shapella,” began testing on February 7 and had its mainnet launch on April 12.
Hot Take: Ethereum Dencun Upgrade Set for Testing in January 2024
The testing phase for the Ethereum Dencun upgrade is scheduled to begin on January 17. This highly anticipated upgrade will introduce EIP-4844 (Proto Dank Sharding), offering cost reductions and additional functionality to Ethereum users. While the exact timing of the mainnet rollout has not been announced, stakeholders can expect a blog post describing the fork during the week of January 8, providing them with ample time to prepare for the upgrade. The flexibility to cancel the upgrade in case of major issues ensures a cautious approach towards its implementation. With technical advancements like the use of blobs and layer-2 rollup networks, Dencun aims to enhance Ethereum’s scalability and transaction efficiency.
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