Ethereum’s Dencun Upgrade Faces Challenges on Goerli Testnet
The highly-anticipated Dencun upgrade for the Ethereum network has been launched on the Goerli testnet. However, the upgrade is currently facing some issues and has failed to reach consensus and finality.
Overview of the Dencun Upgrade
The Dencun upgrade is considered to be Ethereum’s most significant upgrade since the Shapella upgrade in April 2023. While the previous upgrade enabled the withdrawal of staked ether (stETH), Dencun aims to reduce transaction costs on layer 2 (L2) networks. This is an important step in Ethereum’s transition from a Proof-of-Work (PoW) to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism after the Merge.
The upgrade introduces a mechanism called proto-danksharding or ephemeral blobs (EIP-4844) to enhance Ethereum L2 rollup efficiency. It allows temporary storage space for higher transactional throughput by accessing off-chain data, reducing storage demands and ultimately slashing L2 transaction costs by more than 10x.
Deployment Schedule and Current Issues
The Dencun upgrade was initially planned for October 2023 but was rescheduled for late Q1 or early Q2 2024. It will be implemented in three phases, with Goerli’s deployment being the first. The subsequent phases will take place on other testnets before the final release on the Ethereum mainnet.
However, during its deployment on Goerli, the upgrade faced challenges in reaching consensus and finality. This could be due to low participation and offline validators. Developers are currently investigating the issue and intend to conduct a non-finality test to evaluate its readiness.
Hot Take: Evaluating the Dencun Upgrade
The Dencun upgrade for the Ethereum network has faced initial challenges during its deployment on the Goerli testnet. While the upgrade aims to reduce transaction costs on layer 2 networks, it is currently experiencing issues with consensus and finality. Developers are actively investigating the cause of these challenges and conducting tests to assess its readiness. It’s important to allow time for a proper analysis before drawing conclusions about the success or delay of the Dencun upgrade. Stay tuned for further updates on this significant development in Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake.
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