Ethereum Closer To Proof Of Stake As Last Testnet Completes The Merge

Ethereum has been on the journey to proof of stake for quite a while now. The journey has been characterized by delays which the founder has attributed to people’s problems rather than technical problems but it is finally back on track. To properly test how the network would perform when the mainnet begins operating in […]
Ethereum has been on the journey to proof of stake for quite a while now. The journey has been characterized by delays which the founder has attributed to people’s problems rather than technical problems but it is finally back on track. To properly test how the network would perform when the mainnet begins operating in […]

Ethereum has been on the journey to proof of stake for quite a while now. The journey has been characterized by delays which the founder has attributed to people’s problems rather than technical problems but it is finally back on track. To properly test how the network would perform when the mainnet begins operating in proof of stake, there were a couple of testnets created.

These testnets have seen different tests carried out on them prior to launch. They have been a way to test every upgrade that has been implemented on the network to make sure they work as intended. This time around, the Kiln testnet is being used to test how Ethereum would perform after moving to the mainnet and the results have been nothing short of impressive.

Kiln Testnet Says Good To Go

Tim Beiko, one of the core developers of Ethereum, took to Twitter to share some positive news regarding the network. The developer posted a link to the blockchain’s official website where details of a recent test carried out on the Kiln testnet had yielded good results.

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According to the post, the team had used the Kiln testnet to test how Ethereum would work in proof of stake. The Kiln testnet had been launched under a proof of work mechanism just like the main network. A successor to the Kintsugi merge testnet, The Merge was carried out on the testnet on March 15th, 2022. After the merge, the testnet is now completely running under proof of stake.

Ethereum price chart from TradingView.com

ETH settles above $2,600 | Source: ETHUSD on TradingView.com

Kiln is the last of the merge testnets that have been created to test the merge. Going forward, the existing testnets are going to be upgraded and the Kintsugi testnet will be deprecated in the coming weeks.

When Ethereum Merge?

A definite date for the Ethereum mainnet move to proof of stake is yet to be announced. The Ethereum team has said that the Merge is coming sometime in the middle of 2022 but nothing is set in stone. However, the successes of these testnets have shown that the network might be more than ready to launch at the time frame which had been previously publicized.

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As for the move itself, validators (stakers) will have to run on an execution layer client after The Merge is complete. The reason behind this was explained as follows;

“Post-merge, validators need to ensure that transactions in blocks they create and attest to are valid. To do so, an execution layer client is required. While this expands validators’ responsibilities, it also gives a validator who proposes a block the right to its associated transaction priority fees (which currently go to miners).”

Existing stakers can test out the Kiln testnet on the website which provides a simple user interface to get started.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView.com