Ethereum's Goerli Testnet Witnesses Implementation of Dencun Upgrade

The Dencun Upgrade Arrives on Goerli Testnet

The long-awaited Dencun upgrade has finally arrived for the Goerli testnet, although low participation resulted in it failing to be finalized in the expected time. The Dencun upgrade, which includes a major update known as “proto-danksharding” designed to help reduce layer-2 transaction fees, went live on Ethereum’s Goerli testnet on Jan. 17, according to Tim Beiko, community manager at Ethereum Foundation.

Low Participation and Chain Split

Beiko acknowledged that the participation among validators for the upgrade was “not great,” but noted that a similar outcome “was expected.” It also appears the upgrade resulted in a “chain split” as not all validators synced with each other for the update.

Next Phases and Mainnet Rollout

Following its deployment on Goerli, the next phase of the upgrade is scheduled to take place on Jan. 31 on the Sepolia testnet, with the Holesky testnet activating Dencun on Feb. 7. Once Dencun runs smoothly on all three testnets, the Ethereum Foundation plans to roll out the upgrade on the Ethereum mainnet by the end of Q1 2024.

Dencun: Increasing Blockchain Space and Reducing Fees

The Dencun upgrade, known as EIP-4844, aims to increase blockchain space for data blobs and slash layer-2 rollup fees by activating proto-danksharding. This data storage expansion should scale Ethereum’s blockchain, enabling more transaction capacity without hiking gas fees.

Hot Take: Dencun Upgrade Faces Challenges on Goerli Testnet

The Dencun upgrade on the Goerli testnet faced challenges due to low participation among validators and resulted in a chain split. Despite these setbacks, the Ethereum Foundation plans to continue with the upgrade on other testnets and eventually roll it out on the Ethereum mainnet. The upgrade, which includes the activation of proto-danksharding, aims to reduce layer-2 transaction fees and increase blockchain space for data blobs. By overcoming these challenges, Ethereum’s blockchain can scale and accommodate more transactions without increasing gas fees.