The Merge for Ethereum’s ‘Longest-Lived’ PoW Testnet Ropsten Expected ‘Around’ June 8

Blockchain Ethereum Proof-of-stake Proof-of-work

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Ruholamin Haqshanas

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Ruholamin Haqshanas

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Ruholamin Haqshanas is a contributing crypto writer for CryptoNews. He is a crypto and finance journalist with over four years of experience. Ruholamin has been featured in several high-profile crypto...

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June 26, 2023 06:54 EDT

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Ethereum (ETH)‘s Ropsten public testnet, the longest-lived proof-of-work (PoW) testnet that allows for blockchain development testing before deployment on the mainnet, is set to run through The Merge “around June 8.”

Ethereum core developer Tim Beiko broke the news on Twitter, detailing that a new Ropsten Beacon Chain was launched on May 30 to provide consensus to the network.

“Ethereum’s longest lived PoW testnet is moving to Proof of Stake! A new beacon chain has been launched today, and The Merge is expected around June 8th on the network,” the developer said, calling it “the first dress rehearsal.”

Beiko detailed that for the Ropsten testnet to undergo the Merge, the Ropsten Beacon Chain will first need to activate the Bellatrix upgrade, which is scheduled at slot 24000, expected on June 2. Subsequently, a Terminal Total Difficulty (TTD) will be chosen to activate The Merge.

“We’ll pick a value we expect to hit around June 8 or so. PoW on testnets is hard to estimate, so keep an eye out,” the developer added.

The Merge is Ethereum’s long-awaited upgrade when the current Ethereum Mainnet will merge with the beacon chain proof-of-stake (PoS) system.

So far, there have been multiple tests to examine how the merge would function, with some of the more notable ones being Kintsugi, Kiln, and shadow forks.

Nevertheless, now it is time for client teams to run Ropsten through The Merge. Since the Ropsten public testnet follows a similar network structure to the Ethereum Mainnet, it is seen as the best replication of the network that would enable developers to test their work in a live setting.

As reported, Ethereum DevOps engineer Parathi Jayanathi submitted a pull request for the Ropsten testnet Merge configuration code in mid-May.

“Merging Ropsten is a huge testing milestone towards Ethereum’s mainnet merge later this year,” Preston Van Loon, an Ethereum core developer at Prysmatic Labs, said at the time.

At the time of writing, Ethereum is changing hands at USD 1,973, up by 3.7% over the past 24 hours and unchanged in a week. The coin is down by nearly 60% from its all-time high of USD 4,878 recorded in November 2021, according to CoinGecko.

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Learn more: 
– Ethereum’s Ropsten Testnet to ‘Merge’ Next Month in Preparation for Proof-of-Stake
– Ethereum Beacon Chain Experienced a 7-block Reorg, More Work Needed Ahead of The Merge

– Ethereum Developers Move Merge Hopes to August
– Crypto Should Move Away from Relying on ‘Endless Growth’, Vitalik Buterin Argues

– Ethereum Needs to Pass These Three Tests Before Migrating to PoS
– Top Narratives About Ethereum and Its Merge with Its Proof-of-Stake Beacon Chain