- The main issues were insufficient participation and failure to upgrade software components
- Dencun is aimed at implementing less expensive data storage
Ethereum’s highly anticipated Dencun upgrade went live at 06:32 UTC on the Goerli testnet this morning, but did not finalize when expected, CoinDesk reported.
The upgrade failed to finalize on the testnet because it did not reach consensus. According to Ethereum developers, the problems will be resolved in the coming days.
The main issues were insufficient participation and validators’ failure to upgrade software components that would have helped complete the hard fork.
The Mainnet is now more scalable
According to an October 2023 report by Goldman Sachs cited by Bankless Times, the Dencun upgrade would enhance the Ethereum Mainnet’s scalability using rollups, improve network security, and optimize gas fees.
The implementation of the hard fork on Goerli is part of a three-stage approach to ultimately create a new, less expensive data storage method on the Ethereum Mainnet.
Reducing transaction cost
That method, also called “proto-danksharding,” involves adding data capacity and reducing the transaction cost for layer-2 blockchains. Recently, layer-2 blockchains have become a very popular alternative to processing transactions on layer-1 ones, including the Ethereum Mainnet. However, their growth is limited by the high data costs under the current setup, experts maintain.
The next stage of the hard fork will be executed in the coming weeks. The Sepolia testnet will be upgraded, followed by the Holesky testnet.
The biggest upgrade since Shapella
Dencun is the biggest hard fork since the Shapella upgrade in March 2023, which made it possible to withdraw (unstake) staked ether. That event was the second step for Ethereum’s transition to a proof-of-stake blockchain. Ethereum consumes 99.9% less energy after moving away from proof-of-work, which it used before the Merge.
Block finality means a transaction is irreversible after it has been confirmed and added to a block in a blockchain. A testnet is a blockchain that imitates real-world ones. Testnets are used to test applications and other important changes before they can go live on a mainnet.
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