The co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin reminded node operators to update their clients before the Bellatrix hard fork, scheduled for September 6th. Buterin said that the scheduled update will be the last that the Beacon Chain, the proof-of-stake (PoS) chain, prepares for The Merge.
The merge is still expected to happen around Sep 13-15. What’s happening today is the Bellatrix hard fork, which *prepares* the chain for the merge. Still important though – make sure to update your clients!
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) September 6, 2022
An Ethereum client is the software that allows Ethereum nodes to read blocks and smart contracts on the blockchain. A “node” is the piece that runs the client software. To operate a node, you must first download an Ethereum client application. A node can be executed by different Ethereum client software that vary in the programming language used and the code base.
Ethereum node operators must comply with the Bellatrix update by downloading the latest version for their consensus layer clients before epoch 144896 on the Beacon Chain. The update is scheduled for 11:34:47 am UTC. This update consolidates the PoS chain with the current execution layer and is the last major update before The Merge.
Before the Bellatrix update, 73.5% of all node operators were ready for The Merge, which means that 26.5% of node operators had not yet upgraded their clients. The Ethereum Foundation warned that an outdated client would sync with the pre-forked blockchain.
In addition to Buterin, the lead developer, Tim Beiko has also reminded node operators to update their clients before the upgrade.
Bellatrix is tomorrow Last chance to upgrade your node if you haven’t yet!
We’re merging https://t.co/0VQ9zb6wjN
—Tim Beiko | timbeiko.eth (@TimBeiko) September 5, 2022
The Bellatrix update will be followed by The Official Merge scheduled for September 13-15 at an official event called the “Paris Update.” The Merge will be triggered when Total Terminal Difficulty (TTD) reaches 58750000000000000000000, after which the next block will be produced by a Beacon Chain validator marking the official start of Ethereum’s PoS era.
The long-awaited transition would mark the completion of the second phase of Ethereum’s three-phase transition process. With the move to PoS, Ethereum aims to be more energy efficient and scalable. Nevertheless, the upgrade will have no impact on gas rates or in scalability. Those features are expected to arrive with the completion of the latest phase, scheduled for late 2023.
The price of Ether (ETH) has posted an upward rally in the last 24 hours and is trading at $1,662 at press time. The second largest cryptocurrency outperformed Bitcoin (BTC) on the 24-hour chart, posting a 6.41% gain against BTC’s 1.4%. ETH price has built weekly momentum as well, seeing a 7% weekly gain with The Merge just over a week away.
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