Ethereum developers implemented the network’s first “shadow fork” on Monday, marking a major milestone in the current migration to proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus.
The shadow fork provides a space for developers to test their assumptions about the complex network shift to PoSaccording to Ethereum Foundation developer Parithosh Jayanthi. “The goal of the Kiln testnet was to allow the community to practice running their nodes, deploying contracts, testing infrastructure, etc.”he tweeted on Sunday.
wondering what the #TestingTheMerge team has been up to?
The aim of the Kiln merge testnet was to allow the community to practice running their nodes, deploying contracts, testing infrastructure, etc. We hope it’s helping the community get a sense of the post merge world!
— parithosh | (@parithosh_j) April 10, 2022
Kiln is referring to the latest testnet of the so-called merger, which involves transitioning Ethereum’s execution layer from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS). In a blog post on March 14, the Ethereum Foundation described the merger as a “culmination of six years of research and development” with the intention of making the network more secure and energy efficient.
Ethereum Foundation developer Marius van der Wijden confirmed on Monday that PoS testing was underway. “Today will be the first shadow fork of the mainnet. We are approximately 690 blocks (~2hrs) away from TTD”he tweeted.
We’re very close to a historical event. We’re testing PoS on #Ethereum. Today will be the first mainnet shadow fork ever. We’re roughly 690 blocks (~2 hrs) away from TTD. Follow here: https://t.co/T20ZMgApYw or https://t.co/Uod8WBsqtw
Huge props to @parithosh_j! #TestingTheMerge pic.twitter.com/M8ZcHnKqaL— MariusVanDerWijden (@vdWijden) April 11, 2022
We are very close to a historical event. We are testing PoS on #Ethereum. Today will be the first mainnet shadow fork. We are approximately 690 blocks (~2hrs) away from TTD. Follow here: https://t.co/T20ZMgApYw or https://t.co/Uod8WBsqtw
The positive developments surrounding the merger have fueled an increasingly bullish narrative for Ethereum, one that allowed the price of ETH to temporarily break a months-long downtrend. While ETH and the crypto market in general are pulling back in a new bout of risk aversion, the prospect of earning passive rewards on the Ethereum network has attracted considerable interest from investors.
The amount of ETH staked on Ethereum’s Beacon Chain is fast approaching 10.9 billion, with a current average balance of 33.5 ETH, according to industry data. Beacon Chain currently has more than 340,000 validators, which is a 13% gain since early March, when the 300,000th validator was first registered.
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