Goerli Dencun Announcement

The Blobs Are Coming: Goerli's Last Upgrade Before the Dencun Era

The Ethereum community is abuzz with excitement as the Goerli testnet prepares to undergo its final upgrade before the core teams stop supporting it. Dubbed Dencun, this upgrade marks a significant milestone in the development of the Ethereum network, introducing several key changes that will have far-reaching implications for users, developers, and the broader ecosystem.

What is Dencun?

Dencun is the combination of two distinct components: Deneb, a first-magnitude star in the Cygnus constellation, and Cancun, the location for Devcon 3. This naming convention follows the tradition of using star names for consensus layer upgrades and Devcon city names for execution layer upgrades.

Key Changes in Dencun

The Dencun upgrade consolidates several changes to both the consensus and execution layers of the Ethereum network. Some of the most notable changes include:

Ephemeral Data Blobs with EIP-4844: This feature, also known as "protodanksharding," will help reduce L2 transaction fees by allowing users to store data in ephemeral blobs, which can be accessed and processed more efficiently.
Transient Storage Opcodes with EIP-1153: This change introduces new opcodes that enable more efficient storage and retrieval of data in the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).
Beacon Block Root in the EVM with EIP-4788: This feature allows the EVM to access and process beacon block roots, enabling more efficient and secure data management.
Memory Copying Instruction with EIP-5656: This change introduces a new instruction that enables more efficient memory copying and processing in the EVM.
Self-Destruct Only in Same Transaction with EIP-6780: This feature restricts the self-destruct opcode to only be used within the same transaction, enhancing security and preventing potential exploits.
Perpetually Valid Signed Voluntary Exits with EIP-7044: This change enables more efficient and secure voluntary exits from the Ethereum network.
Increase Max Attestation Inclusion Slot with EIP-7045: This feature increases the maximum number of attestation inclusion slots, enabling more efficient and secure data processing.
Add Max Epoch Churn Limit with EIP-7514: This change introduces a new limit on epoch churn, preventing potential exploits and enhancing security.
BLOBBASEFEE Opcode with EIP-7516: This feature enables more efficient and secure data processing by introducing a new opcode for blob base fees.

Client Releases and Compatibility

The Dencun upgrade requires compatible client releases to ensure smooth and secure deployment. The following client releases support Dencun on Goerli:

Lighthouse: Version 4.6.0-rc.0
Lodestar: Version 1.14.0-rc.1
Nimbus: Version 24.1.1
Prysm: Version 4.2.0-rc.1
Teku: Version 24.1.0

Bug Bounty Bonus

All Dencun-related bug bounties for in-scope vulnerabilities will receive a 2x multiplier between now and two weeks prior to when the mainnet upgrade is scheduled to take place. Critical bugs are now worth up to $500,000 USD!

FAQ and Next Steps

As an Ethereum user or Ether holder, there is no need to take any action unless you are informed to do so by your exchange or wallet provider. If you run your own Ethereum node, update your node to the version of your Ethereum client listed in the table above. As a Goerli staker, update your node to the version of your Ethereum client listed in the table above and make sure both your beacon node and validator client are updated!

As a non-Goerli node operator or staker, there is no need to take any action for now. Further announcements will be made for Dencun's activation on Sepolia, Holesky, and mainnet. You can sign up to receive an email alert for them here.

Stakers who want to run through the upgrade process more times before mainnet are encouraged to use ephemery.dev, which will soon support Dencun.

If you are a Goerli staker or node operator and you do not participate in the upgrade, your client will sync to the pre-fork blockchain once the upgrade occurs. You will be stuck on an incompatible chain following the old rules and will be unable to send Ether or operate on the post-Dencun Ethereum network.

As an application or tooling developer, review the EIPs included in Dencun to determine if and how they affect your project. The only EIPs with backwards compatibility implications are EIP-6780, EIP-7044, and EIP-7514.

The Goerli upgrade will be livestreamed here.

Source: https://blog.ethereum.org/en/2024/01/10/goerli-dencun-announcement