--- tags: newineth2 description: The latest update on Ethereum 2.0 development image: https://benjaminion.xyz/f/favicon-96x96.png --- <style> a {text-decoration: underline;} a {color: #0000ee;} a:visited {color: #551a8b;} .ui-infobar {visibility: hidden; padding-top: 0;} .community-button {visibility: hidden;} .markdown-body {padding-top: 0;} </style> # What's New in Eth2 - 17&nbsp;June&nbsp;2022 ![My avatar](https://benjaminion.xyz/f/ms-icon-144x144.png =32x32) Ben Edgington (Eth2 at [ConsenSys](https://consensys.net/) — all views expressed are my own) Edition 95 at [eth2.news](https://eth2.news/) <div style="text-align:center"> :::warning :warning: There is no ETH2 coin. Anyone offering you ETH2 coins is scamming you.[^fn_eth2_coin] :warning: ::: </div> [^fn_eth2_coin]: Apparently I need to say this :man-shrugging: ## Top picks Ethereum mainnet [Gray Glacier hard fork](https://blog.ethereum.org/2022/06/16/gray-glacier-announcement/) incoming - you know the drill! This is the bomb-delay fork, and the timing is tight so be sure to update your Eth1 nodes asap. The fork is expected around June the 29th, but may come a day or two earlier. ## Ropsten Merge We [successfully Merged](https://twitter.com/lightclients/status/1534568543198527491) Ropsten on to proof of stake! :tada::tada::tada: After a very long wait due to fluctuating hash rate -- you can watch us filling time at [the EthStaker party](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OfRuKSPjjw) -- Ropsten finally hit TTD at 16:08:08&nbsp;UTC and produced its [first merge block](https://ropsten.beaconcha.in/block/65144). Was it perfect? Not entirely. Pari provided [a great summary](https://twitter.com/parithosh_j/status/1534653280147718148). In short, we lost [about 14%](https://twitter.com/Data_Always/status/1534619655742050308) participation over the event. Of that, about 9% was due to a simple [misconfiguration](https://twitter.com/jcksie/status/1534581627413749761) in the Nimbus team's nodes and easily fixed, 1.8% due to a known issue in Nethermind that a restart fixed, and 2.5-3% due to an issue with Besu and Nethermind communicating via websockets that was fixed by switching to HTTP. Tim has more details on the issues in his [ACD notes](https://twitter.com/TimBeiko/status/1535312982200094720). Was it good enough? [Absolutely](https://twitter.com/dannyryan/status/1534928763057631232)! Apart from the easily fixed engineering and config issues the Ropsten Merge went flawlessly. No issues with the spec or methodology. No fundamental incompatibilities. And no chain downtime whatsoever. Within a couple of hours participation had ramped up again to 99%+. Make no mistake, this was a huge success. ## The Bomb We agreed at last week's All Core Devs call to set back the Ethereum difficulty bomb by 700,000 blocks. 100k mainnet blocks is about 15 days, so this is approximately a 105 day extension, 3.5 months. It puts us in the same position at the end of September as we are right now, with 14.5+ second blocks, a slowdown of about 10%. While I personally would rather we had been bold and committed to doing the Merge asap without setting the bomb back, it is most likely the right thing to do. It's riskier to Merge while block times are elevated, and while block sizes are potentially inflated to compensate. In fact, the bomb push back gives us a strong indication of when the teams envisage that the Merge could happen. If we were not confident that we could deliver the Merge by mid-September then we would have pushed back the bomb for much longer - nobody wants to do it twice. All things are subject, of course, to not finding anything very smelly in testing. To be honest, never mind the bomb, I think that the timing of DevCon in early October is probably the strongest Merge forcing-function for the teams. We'd rather like to strut in and be fêted like heroes. I doubt any of us wants to show our faces if we've failed to deliver the Merge: the shame! ## Testing the Merge ### Sepolia testnet We've agreed to Merge the Sepolia testnet next, followed by the Goerli network in July. The Sepolia beacon chain goes live on Monday. It will have only a small number of validators and will be controlled largely by dev teams, with a permissioned deposit contract. This makes it easier to coordinate interesting test scenarios, and also to commit to running it long term. If there is a good reason why you need to run validators for Sepolia, Pari says, > Please post on [this issue](https://github.com/ethereum/pm/issues/526) with a reason as to why you'd like to be a validator on sepolia. Since it's a small, permissioned network we'd ideally like to only have validators who have a decent history of running them in other testnets/mainnet + have a reason to on sepolia. Please also comment with a way to contact you for questions or general communication. As discussed at this week's consensus devs call, we will choose a TTD in a week or so to target the Sepolia Merge for around the 29th of June. The [genesis configuration](https://github.com/eth-clients/merge-testnets/tree/main/sepolia) for the Sepolia beacon chain is available, and I think all beacon clients are cutting releases with that baked in. [Teku 22.6.0](https://github.com/ConsenSys/teku/releases/tag/22.6.0) will do the trick. ### Mainnet Shadow Fork 7 Mainnet shadow forks are becoming somewhat routine now. [MSF7](https://github.com/eth-clients/merge-testnets/tree/main/mainnet-shadow-fork-7) is expected to hit TTD on Wednesday the 22nd. Follow along here: - https://ethstats.mainnetshadowfork7.ethdevops.io/ - https://explorer.mainnetshadowfork7.ethdevops.io/ - https://beaconchain.mainnetshadowfork7.ethdevops.io/ On the [Shadow Fork Tracker](https://notes.ethereum.org/PhbNw_cGSQ-VKqzGl4bPcg?view)[^fn-msf] we're looking for no regressions, and improvements where things are currently failing. [^fn-msf]: A note was added to the tracker last week to keep it "internal", whatever that means. It's already out there, however, and too late for that. And I think we ought to favour transparency where it's not actively harmful. ## Staking The [Merge Readiness Checklist](https://launchpad.ethereum.org/en/merge-readiness) is up on the Ethereum Launchpad. The time really is at hand! Miga Labs has done another [in-depth report](https://medium.com/@migalabs/analysis-of-ethereum-2-consensus-clients-dfede8e0145e) on consensus client performance. They've also uploaded all the charts and more at [Eth2 Clients Plots](https://migalabs.es/eth2-client-plots) which is fascinating to explore. All-in-all they've done a huge amount of work. It is difficult to fairly evaluate client performance. For one thing, the target keeps moving: we've reduced Teku's CPU usage by 25% and outgoing bandwidth by almost 40% since the version used in the report. For another, what's easy to measure is not always what's important. Miga Labs does a lot of work testing syncing since it's straightforward to measure and compare - but it's almost entirely irrelevant. Clients spend very nearly the whole of their lives not in sync mode. It will actually be _dangerous_ to sync from genesis under proof of stake. This is why we have not bothered to optimise sync at all in Teku -- more on this below -- so take those numbers with a pinch of salt. But to be fair, this report from Miga Labs does make an effort to broaden their measurements into more realistic scenarios as well. [^fn-clg]: I'm not hugely interested in Chainlink (though I was wearing my Chainlink T-shirt from DevCon IV yesterday), but [CLG](https://twitter.com/ChainLinkGod) remains one of my favourite follows on Twitter. He thoroughly gets it and has many excellent insights. The [Wagyu installer](https://github.com/stake-house/wagyu-installer/releases/tag/v0.6.0) from StakeHouse has had its [first release](https://twitter.com/remy_roy/status/1535358663749165057) - Wagyu is a graphical tool for setting up Ethereum validators. ### MEV-Boost Staking topic of the week seems to be MEV-Boost, also more neutrally known as the Builder API. It deserves a little section of its own. Flashbots believes that MEV-Boost is good for us, and that stakers [should run it](https://writings.flashbots.net/writings/why-run-mevboost/) post-Merge. Hasu summarises in [this thread](https://twitter.com/hasufl/status/1534211355686879232). CLG [pushes back](https://twitter.com/ChainLinkGod/status/1534228160899715072) a little[^fn-clg]. Alongside this, Lightclients did a very helpful Twitter [deep-dive](https://twitter.com/lightclients/status/1533915131536605185) into what it will be involved for stakers to run the Builder API (MEV-Boost). Finally the EthStaker trio of Rémy, Yorick, and Ladislaus complete the triptych with a video [preview of MEV and mev-boost for validators](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZYJiLxp9ow). ## Explainers, Talks, and Media Adrian Sutton gave an Ethereum Engineering Group talk on [Checkpoint sync](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gISJtRlTK8), which goes into the point I made earlier about why it's really bad to sync from genesis under PoS. He extols the joys, and explores the challenges, of checkpoint sync. Tim Beiko gave Bankless some [Ethereum Merge updates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUA-HzIbWD0). There's also a much briefer extract covering the [Top 5 Misconceptions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKnxO0YKu3w) about the Merge (spoiler: they are not all misconceptions). But Tim's not the only one who's been on Bankless recently. Here's [SuuuupeeerPhiiiiiz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnHA_Ds3qJI)!! Two of my esteemed colleagues did PEEPanEIP sessions with the Ethereum Cat Herders over the last two weeks: - Sajida Zouarhi presented [Hyperledger Besu & The Merge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ynTsBO9tY), and - Mikhail Kalinin talked about [The Merge transition - Paris, Bellatrix & TTD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcJqThCdns). Zahary from Nimbus is [next up](https://twitter.com/poojaranjan19/status/1536367349364031488), so keep an eye on the [Cat Herders Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD9iiIwTRtLDYcEWONs2Q3A). Talks at [EthPrague](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMppHByjqk8&list=PLRUSTVWJngifkMrh4Y7URBd_WRgKVHPP-) seemed to be high quality. Here are some of my favourites from the usual suspects. - Péter Szilágyi, [Ethereum in numbers: Where TPS meets physics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdsaVoJiy3g) - not really Eth2, but a great insight into why it's not so easy just to crank up the TPS on mainnet. - Lightclient, [Extracting MEV After the Merge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci7pLez8eDk). - Guillaume Ballet, [The verkle tree upgrade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fL7hi8SZMs). - Dankrad Feist, [DANKSHARDING](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=049VeJY5bjU). Worth a look: `@808_Investor` brewed up a Tweet storm exploring [Ethereum's Economic Model Post Merge](https://twitter.com/808_Investor/status/1532874022215733248). ## Regular Calls ### All Core Devs ACD call #140 took place on the 10th of June. * [Agenda](https://github.com/ethereum/pm/issues/538) * [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dByC5Bw8DvU) * Tim Beiko wrote great [notes](https://twitter.com/TimBeiko/status/1535310908997570560), and Christine Kim has done another [detailed write-up](https://docsend.com/view/8p4e85n48z2y59qq). Tim describes the call as *very* eventful, though it seemed fairly straightforward from where I was sitting. A lot less eventful than (whisper it) ProgPOW, or back in the DAO fork days [six years ago](https://twitter.com/LefterisJP/status/1537723180189728768), in any case. We reviewed the Ropsten Merge and did a few other bits and pieces before moving on to the difficulty bomb conversation, where we agreed to push it back. ### Consensus Implementers (Eth2) Consensus call #89 took place on the 16th of June. * [Agenda](https://github.com/ethereum/pm/issues/549) * [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHOZ_2tlTqk&t=163s) * My [quick notes](https://hackmd.io/@benjaminion/HJFkBhdK9). We did some planning for the Sepolia beacon chain, going live on Monday ahead of the Sepolia testnet Merge that we're targeting for the 29th of June. We discussed approaches to testing the Builder API (MEV-Boost). There are some concerns about the added complexity of trying to run MEV-Boost through the Merge event itself. The feeling of the meeting was that we should probably coordinate only to enable MEV Boost an hour or so after the Merge, although it's difficult to enforce this. Finally Mikhail Kalinin walked us through a post-Merge [proposal](https://hackmd.io/@n0ble/HkOfKgH_c) to reduce the deposit processing time to one slot - deposit processing currently takes around 16 hours, and can take longer. ### EIP-4844 There was a breakout room call today for planning related to EIP-4844 (that's protodanksharding). * [Agenda](https://github.com/ethereum/pm/issues/543) * [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flx1hDUV8O0) * Collective [call notes](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KgKZnb5P07rdLBb_nRCaXhzG_4PBoZXtFQNzKO2mrvc/edit#), and a [summary](https://twitter.com/TimBeiko/status/1537869030857486337) from Tim. We had a great live demo developed by Mofi (Optimism) and Michael (Coinbase) of a prototype EIP-4844 implementation in Geth and Prysm. It used the extra data availability to put an Ethereum logo on chain. The [code is available](https://github.com/Inphi/eip4844-interop). For more background and links, see the [KZG Resources page](https://github.com/tvanepps/KZG-Ceremony-Links/blob/main/Resources.md). Further discussion is happening on the `#kzg-ceremony` channel of the Ethereum R&D Discord server. Also, Marius van der Wijden and Daniel Knopik implemented a demo of the [KZG trusted set-up](https://devpost.com/software/towers-of-pau) ceremony at [EthPrague](https://twitter.com/vdWijden/status/1535938358400122883). You can [try it out](https://dknopik.de/). ## In other news - Lido Weekly Digest: [June 10-17](https://twitter.com/LidoFinance/status/1537860002123325441). - Stereum, the [ninth episode](https://stereum.net/under-the-surface-009/) of Under the Surface. - DappLion of Chainsafe will be the [Merge coordinator](https://twitter.com/dapplion/status/1534168146197757953) for the Gnosis Beacon Chain, which is planning to go through the PoS Merge just ahead of the Ethereum mainnet. ## And finally... That's all, folks. Have a lovely weekend! * * * [![[Twitter]](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/img/twitter.svg =40x40)](https://twitter.com/benjaminion_xyz) Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/benjaminion_xyz) to hear when the next edition is out 🙌. [![[RSS]](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/img/rss.svg =32x32)](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/rss_feed.xml) We also have an [RSS feed](https://benjaminion.xyz/newineth2/rss_feed.xml). [Advertising](https://hackmd.io/@benjaminion/eth2_news/https%3A%2F%2Fhackmd.io%2F%40benjaminion%2Fadvertising) on this newsletter. [Give Feedback](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkESc4CmNfRGHHjWfNeF3ceLwrXDvynetda4sKfJFJ71Oabw/viewform).