The Ethereum Core Developer Tim Beiko has outlined a series of suggestions and expectations about The Fusion (also known as The Merge), soon to be deployed, for developers of applications and protocols on Ethereum.
For average users of applications and protocols, Beiko simply suggested testing things to make sure nothing is broken as more tests are run. On Tuesday he tweeted: “Run stuff, and if something is unclear or broken, leave a comment.”
And it is! Run stuff, if something is unclear or broken, leave a comment, as you probably aren’t the only one with that issue User PoV guides, how-go’s, etc. are always super useful, too! https://t.co/tyWqgVBSuc
—Tim Beiko | timbeiko.eth (@TimBeiko) May 23, 2022
Yes. Run things, and if something isn’t clear or doesn’t work, please leave a comment, as you’re probably not the only one with that problem. Users’ point of view guides, procedures, etc. They are always very helpful too.
Beiko urged users and developers to “pay attention and make sure they are prepared” for Fusion.
The Merger is the long-awaited and complex moment when the Ethereum network moves from proof-of-work (PoW) consensus to proof-of-stake (PoS). At that time, it will be known as the Consensus Layer and It is expected to happen in August this year.
Testing on various testnets has focused on ensuring that there are no problems between clients or that existing applications are not completely broken after the merge. Beiko noted in another Twitter thread that those issues are likely to be rare because “99% of changes affect the protocol layer” while “almost no changes are at the application layer.”
A few thoughts on #TestingTheMerge:
1. Protocol layer testing != application level testing. Client + protocol testing teams focus mostly on changes to the protocol not causing cross-client issues or breaking existing applications.
—Tim Beiko | timbeiko.eth (@TimBeiko) May 23, 2022
Some thoughts on testing in The Merge:
1. Protocol layer testing = application level testing. The client + protocol test teams are primarily focused on making sure that changes to the protocol do not cause problems between clients or break existing applications.
Beiko stated that developers should be aware that there will be two significant changes to how smart contracts work with Fusion. First of all, he reminded them that the beacon’s randomization method, which helps to run applications, will change. This will be required for the switch to PoS and was published in an update by the Ethereum Foundation (EF) last November.
The second change will be that block times will be reduced from 13 seconds per block to 12. As a result of this change, smart contracts that use block production rate as a measure of time will execute one second faster after the merge occurs.
Beiko showed an air of confidence that, despite the delays in the execution of the Fusion, the potential problems have been consolidated into a single echelon:
“Aside from cross-client testing and these two edge cases, the biggest risk of disruption is in ‘tooling and underpipelines’.”
He concluded by stating that Should any other issues arise during the extensive testing and shadow forks that are taking place, the merge would be further delayed to ensure network security:
“At any point, if we find issues, we will obviously take the time to fix + address them before moving forward. Only then will we think about going proof-of-stake on the mainnet.”
ETH investors who are worried about the coins unlocking and dumping when the Merger happens can rest easy. DeceDeFi educator Korpi explained Monday on Twitter Ether (ETH) staked on the Beacon chain cannot now be unlocked without a subsequent network upgrade once the Merger takes place. This includes rewards earned from staking.
He also stated that once the coins are unlocked, they will be released in batches instead of all at once and that those coins are often an investor’s “never sell stack” and likely never to be sold.
There are currently 12.6 million ETH staked on the Beacon chain. The Beacon chain was one of the first steps taken to make Ethereum a PoS network.released in December 2020.
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