The Ethereum Foundation has just announced the successful deployment of the Dencun upgrade on all blockchain testnets. This major technical milestone foreshadows the imminent deployment of Dencun on the main Ethereum crypto network, scheduled for March 13, 2024.
An update eagerly awaited by the cryptocurrency community
This news was greeted with enthusiasm by all Ethereum crypto enthusiasts. Developers and users of the blockchain had been eagerly awaiting Dencun’s activation, marking a significant step forward for the network.
This upgrade introduces “proto-danksharding” via EIP-4844. This feature enables rollups, Layer 2 scaling solutions, to integrate ephemeral data “blobs” on this crypto’s nodes. The aim is to significantly reduce transaction costs on Layer 2 networks, making Ethereum much more scalable.
The successful deployment of Dencun on testnets demonstrates the ongoing commitment of Ethereum developers to improving the blockchain. Despite a difficult macroeconomic context in 2024, the community remains mobilized around this open-source project.
Towards deployment on the main network
Now that the upgrade has been tested on test networks, there’s nothing to stop it being activated on the main chain. The date of March 13 is therefore official for the Ethereum Foundation.
To ensure a smooth transition, node operators and cryptocurrency validators will need to upgrade their client software to a Dencun-compatible version. Technical guides are available to support them in this process.
Another step towards Ethereum 2.0
On the governance side, this upgrade was approved via the usual EIP and multi-client testing process. Coordination between the various development teams has enabled a smooth rollout on the testnets, pointing to a seamless transition to the mainnet.
With the activation of the Dencun upgrade, Ethereum continues its march towards its 2.0 vision, aimed at completely replacing the current infrastructure with a new, more scalable and efficient proof-of-stake blockchain. Dencun represents a crucial milestone on this roadmap, enabling Ethereum to remain competitive with new competitors while preparing for its transition to Ethereum 2.0.
With the successful launch of Dencun on testnets, Ethereum takes a major symbolic step closer to the long-awaited upgrade to the main blockchain scheduled for March 13, 2024.
