London Testnets Announcement
London Testnets Announcement: A Comprehensive Guide to the Upcoming Ethereum Upgrade
The Ethereum community has been eagerly awaiting the London upgrade, and the wait is finally over. The long-anticipated upgrade is now ready for deployment on the Ethereum testnets, marking a significant milestone in the development of the Ethereum network. In this article, we will delve into the details of the London upgrade, its features, and what it means for the Ethereum community.
The London Upgrade: A Brief Overview
The London upgrade is the latest in a series of network upgrades designed to improve the Ethereum protocol. It follows the Berlin upgrade, which was activated on the Ethereum mainnet just a few months ago. The London upgrade is a testament to the Ethereum community's commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
EIPs: The Building Blocks of the London Upgrade
The London upgrade includes several key EIPs (Ethereum Improvement Proposals) that aim to improve the Ethereum protocol. These EIPs are:
- EIP-1559: Fee market change for ETH 1.0 chain
- EIP-3198: BASEFEE opcode
- EIP-3529: Reduction in refunds
- EIP-3541: Reject new contracts starting with the 0xEF byte
- EIP-3554: Difficulty Bomb Delay to December 1st 2021
Each of these EIPs has a specific goal, and together they form a comprehensive upgrade that will improve the Ethereum network.
EIP-1559: A Game-Changer for the Ethereum Network
EIP-1559 is one of the most significant EIPs included in the London upgrade. It introduces a new fee market mechanism that will change the way transactions are processed on the Ethereum network. The new mechanism will ensure that blocks are filled to a certain capacity, reducing the impact of high gas prices on the network.
Client Versions: What You Need to Know
To participate in the London upgrade, node operators will need to upgrade their client versions. The following client versions support the London upgrade:
- go-ethereum (geth): 1.10.4
- Nethermind: 1.10.73
- Erigon (f.k.a. TurboGeth): 2021.06.04-alpha
- Besu: 21.7.0-RC1
- OpenEthereum (f.k.a. Parity): 3.3.0-rc2
- EthereumJS VM: 5.4.1
FAQ: What You Need to Know
As the London upgrade approaches, many users have questions about what it means for them. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers:
- What do I need to do as a user?: If you are only a user of the Ethereum mainnet, there is nothing you need to do now.
- What do I need to do as a Ropsten miner or Goerli/Rinkeby validator?: You will need to download the latest version of your Ethereum client and manually change your gas limit target to twice what it currently is.
- What happens if I am a miner or node operator and I do not participate in the upgrade?: If you are using an Ethereum client that is not updated to the latest version, 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 you will be unable to send Ether or operate on the post-upgrade Ethereum network.
Conclusion
The London upgrade is a significant milestone in the development of the Ethereum network. It includes several key EIPs that aim to improve the Ethereum protocol, including EIP-1559, which introduces a new fee market mechanism. Node operators will need to upgrade their client versions to participate in the upgrade, and users should be aware of the implications of the upgrade on their activities. As the Ethereum community continues to evolve and improve, the London upgrade is an important step towards a more efficient and scalable network.
Source: https://blog.ethereum.org/en/2021/06/18/london-testnets-announcement
