Ethereum 2.0 Gets Closer, As Rospten Testnet Completes The Merge

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Ethereum network has achieved another milestone in its journey towards The Merge, as the Ropsten testnet successful merged its execution layer with testnet's Beacon chain on Wednesday. The process mimics what will happen when the Ethereum mainnet will finally merge with The Beacon Chain, hopefully in August this year.

Launched in 2016, Ropsten testnet is the Ethereum's oldest test net. It is identical to Ethereum mainnet in all ways, but uses valueless form of Ethereum to execute transactions. It allows the developers to test smart contracts and dapps in a nascent environment.

Ethereum core dev, Tim Beiko announced back on May 18, that the Ropsten testnet will undergo merge on June 8 and a new Beacon Chain have been launched for the purpose. Beiko termed Ropsten testnet merge, the first dress rehearsal for the upcoming Merge. Then on May 30, another Ethereum dev announced launched of new Beacon chain and Bellatrix upgrade as a pre-requisite of Ropsten testnet Merge.

Now that Ropsten testnet has merged with its Beacon Chain, two more public testnets Goelri and Sepolia will also undergo merge. After all the testnets merge, the main network will get cleared for the transition from proof of work(PoW) to proof of stake(PoS) consensus mechanism, often called The Merge.

Successful Ropsten testnet Merge is important as it give Ethereum devs a firsthand glimpse into what will happen when the mainnet transitions to Proof of Stake consensus in August this year. It should be a huge confidence booster for Ethereum dev working on the Final Merge.

But Ethereum founder Vitalic Buterin was more cautious about the Merge, as he stated in a livestream hosted in by Ethstaker that even if the merged testnet runs successfully for a few hours that doesn't mean the network is in the clear due to the risks like MEV, staking, centralization and DoS attacks.

Ethereum transition to more efficient PoS consensus mechanism has been delayed several times in past two years. The Merge delays have caused some outcry in wider Ethereum community. But I feel the Merge was rightly fully delayed, as a change of this magnitude should be introduced when things are 100% tested. Transitioning a billion dollar network like Ethereum is no miner job and all possible caution needs to be exercised.