Ethereum’s merge is moving one step closer to its completion as the Ropsten public testnet is live now. The much-awaited transition from Ethereum’s current proof of work network to proof of stake consensus is getting closer as we speak.
Ropsten is Ethereum’s oldest testnet, having been launched in 2016. It enables blockchain development testing prior to deployment on the mainnet. It is similar to the mainnet, just as other testnets are, with the exception that no “actual” funds are at risk if any technical issues arise. Ropsten is also claimed to give developers initial access to the mainnet merge.
This upcoming change would shake up the entire network and address a number of difficulties it is currently dealing with.
The awaited Ethereum upgrade is getting closer
The initial upgrade announcement was made by the Ethereum core developer on May 18. He revealed that the Ropsten’s Beacon Chain had been merged, and the releases should be here anytime soon.
Following that, on May 30, another Ethereum developer unveiled the launch of a new beacon chain and the Bellatrix upgrade. Both of these requirements are necessary for the Ropsten testnet Merge.
The terminal total difficulty for the Ropsten Merge was prefixed at a difficulty value of 50 quadrillion.
This Ropsten testnet merge is very important before the actual transition of Ethereum to Ethereum 2.0, which is expected to go live this August. The Ropsten testnet merge is important to provide the developers with a first-hand look at how things will be when Ethereum finally makes a move to the less energy-centric PoS mechanism.
The successful merge of the Ropsten testnet will also define the success of the final transition set to go live this August. The proof of stake will solve the most crucial issues faced by Ethereum. It will also help in controlling the transaction cost and cut down on energy consumption.
