Ethereum Beacon Chain slated for launch on the Ropsten testnet

Ethereum is inching closer to being a proof-of-stake network. The Merge, which is the major process needed to transition the network from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, will happen in August, according to Tim Beiko, the lead developer for the Ethereum network.

On Tuesday, Beiko said that the Ropsten Beacon Chain would be used as a testnet for Ethereum users. Ropsten is the first longstanding testnet running through The Merge, and it will mark the end of Ethereum as a proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain.

Ethereum Merge inches closer

The Ropsten testnet was created around five years ago. It is classified as one of the best testnets because it is the best replica for the Ethereum mainnet. Therefore, the testnet can be the perfect model to assess how a proof-of-stake network will function.

The Merge will offer an initial glimpse to developers and validators. It will also make them aware of any code-related problems that they might encounter. The tests will happen without affecting the operations of the mainnet.

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Ethereum released a blog post saying that the “Bellatrix upgrade would happen on June 2. This upgrade will pave the way for The Merge. After the upgrade, miners will determine the Terminal Total Difficulty (TTD) metric to trigger the transition. Miners will then configure their nodes using the provided value.

Beiko offered in-depth details about this launch, adding that Beacon Chain needed to launch the latest upgrade for The Merge to be a success. He also said that the process would depend upon the determined TTD of the PoW side.

Beiko also said there would be two more testnets before the final transition to PoS happens to ensure everything works as intended. “After the Ropsten transition, two more testnets (Goerli and Sepolia) will be transitioned to proof-of-stake before focus shifts to mainnet.”

The Merge is happening in August

The Merge is the most awaited event by the Ethereum community. The Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, said that the event would likely happen in August. The process will change Ethereum’s algorithm to PoS, making the network energy-efficient and creating more utility for Ether tokens.

The Merge could also make Ether a deflationary token because more tokens will be burned. The “Shadow fork” was launched in April to stress test the developers’ assumptions about syncing and the growth of the network. It also tested any critical vulnerabilities within the code.

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