Key facts:
Along with Ropsten, 2 other ETH 1.0 testnets will migrate to ETH 2.0 proof of stake.
It is expected that by June 8, the Ropsten network from ETH 1.0 will finally migrate to ETH 2.0.
Ethereum 2.0 already has a new testnet: Ropsten. This is the first network of its kind that is designed to last over time (other networks were launched temporarily). There, in a few days, you can see the implementation of the merger (The Merge).
Ropsten is one of the testnets that already existed in version 1.0 of Ethereum. Unlike other networks, such as Kintsugi or Kiln at the time, and the later shadow forks Reported by CriptoNoticias, Ropsten will be a network in which the step by step from ETH 1.0 with proof of work (PoW) to ETH 2.0 with proof of participation (PoS) will be given. This network will be in force throughout the life cycle of the “new Ethereum”.
The genesis block of the Ropsten Beacon Chain (name of the Ethereum 2.0 network) was officially validated yesterday, May 30, as reported by the official portal of the Ethereum Foundation. At the same time, the platform also published which are the softwares in which validators can be executed.
The Ethereum Foundation asks node operators to consult their client documentation for specific instructions on this transition.
Additionally, they “strongly” recommend stakers (those who deposited 32 ETH into the Ethereum 2.0 smart contract to become validators) to “run the merge on Ropsten and other testnets before the Ethereum mainnet goes live.” proof of participation.
The difficulty bomb will be tested in Ropsten
Also, at the time of launch it was reported that the difficulty bomb (the protocol that will stop PoW mining in Ethereum), will be activated this June 2 in Ropsten for ETH 1.0. It is estimated that the transition stage will end on June 8. By this date, the merger protocol would enter into execution. There the Ethereum 1.0 Ropsten network will stop, which will merge with the Ropsten Beacon Chain.
After Ropsten, two more testnets (Goerli and Sepolia) will go through this process. The success or failure of this first test network that will experience the transition to Ethereum 2.0, will allow estimating the dates for the merger in other test networks.
The merger would come this year to the Ethereum mainnet
As CriptoNoticias recently disclosed, the merger is expected to finally reach Ethereum in the second half of this year.
The developers of the network are taking precautions so that it is so. However, everything is not yet ready to make the final transition to proof of participation. This is why heto difficulty bomb, scheduled to activate on July 1it could be postponed a couple of months.