Ethereum developer Tim Beiko announced that the latest proof-of-stake (PoS) testnet transition will be on the Goerli testnet, which is the closest simulation of the Ethereum mainnet. It is set to be merged with the testnet on August 6 – 12 in an upgrade called Paris.
But Bellatrix, a prior upgrade, needs to happen to prepare Prater (the Goerli version of the Beacon Chain) for the Merge with Goerli. This is likely to come about on August 4. Beiko tweeted that the Prater will run through the Bellatrix upgrade on August 4 and merge with Goerli between August 6 – 12. It will run a node or validator – the last chance to go through the process before the mainnet.
Only one more testnet remains, as per the announcement, following several devnets, shadow forks, and Merges on deprecated testnets. The node operators will need to update the consensus layer and execution layer clients. It should be noted that Ethereum holders and stakers don’t have to take any action. N operators and testnet participants will only be affected by the changes. The real deal is slated for September 19, but it could be delayed if there are issues with the Goerli testing phase.
The ninth shadow fork went live earlier this month to test a maximal extractable value (MEV) boost feature. The Merge, the biggest upgrade to Ethereum since its inception seven years ago, is the most awaited. But then this was supposed to happen years ago – repeated delays have taken a toll on users and investors alike.
With the Shadow Fork live now, Ethereum price has shot up past the $1,600 mark and is preparing for a major bull run. Transactions on the Ethereum Network also surged to 1.67 million for the first time after the May 2022 crypto crash.
