The Stellar Development Foundation Postpones Protocol 20 Vote
The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has decided to delay the vote on Protocol 20, which was originally scheduled for January 30. The decision was made after a bug was discovered in Stellar Core v20.1.0. The SDF received feedback from various participants in the Stellar ecosystem, including contract developers, wallet developers, validators, and tools builders.
Bug Affects Soroban Smart Contracts on Stellar Blockchain
The bug, identified on January 25, 2024, affects fee-bump transactions for Soroban smart contracts on the Stellar blockchain. While initially assessed as minimal risk, the SDF chose to postpone the upgrade based on ecosystem feedback and the need for broad consensus.
SDF Disarms Validators; Decision Rests with Network Validators
The SDF has “disarmed” its validators to prevent them from voting for the upgrade on the original date. However, other validators on the Stellar network still have the option to vote for the Protocol 20 upgrade. A quorum is required for the upgrade to pass.
Protocol 20: Introducing Smart Contract Functionality
Protocol 20 aims to introduce smart contract functionality through the phased rollout of the Soroban platform. The SDF launched a $100 million fund to attract developers to the platform when it went live on a testnet in October 2022.
Coordinating with Validators for a New Upgrade Date
The SDF plans to coordinate with validators to determine a new upgrade date once a bug-fix version of Stellar Core is available, expected within two weeks. The network currently has over 40 validator nodes, and a validator quorum will be required for any future upgrade proposal.
A Careful Step for Stability and Reliability
This delay demonstrates the SDF’s commitment to ensuring the stability and reliability of the Stellar network during significant protocol changes. The involvement of the community and validators in decision-making highlights the collaborative nature of blockchain governance.
Hot Take: Stellar Development Foundation Postpones Protocol 20 Vote Due to Bug Discovery
The Stellar Development Foundation has postponed the vote on Protocol 20, initially set for January 30, following the discovery of a bug in Stellar Core v20.1.0. The decision was made to ensure ecosystem readiness and broad consensus, with the new vote date to be determined after the bug fix release, expected within the next two weeks.