Withdrawals are approaching.
tl;dr
- Shanghai+Capella (also known as Shapella) is imminent. Stakers, node operators, infrastructure providers — take note and test!
- The Academic Grants Round is active! Applications are due by February 27, 2023
Shapella is imminent ๐
Following extensive testing and development, the Shanghai+Capella (Shapella) mainnet upgrade is entering the final pre-launch phase — public testnets!
The Zhejiang testnet is operational and open for stakers and users to test Shapella today. Additionally, the first of the long-standing public testnets — Sepolia — is set to undergo the upgrade on February 28th.
Shapella includes numerous functionalities, but the most significant for stakers and the consensus-layer is the facilitation of withdrawals. Complete withdrawals will be accessible for exited validators, and partial withdrawals will be permitted for active validator balances exceeding 32 ETH. For validators to participate in withdrawals, they must possess a 0x01 execution-layer withdrawal credential. If a validator currently holds a 0x00 BLS withdrawal credential, it is necessary to sign a change operation to 0x01 to enable withdrawals.
Please refer to this ETH Withdrawals FAQ for more insights into withdrawal mechanisms and enabling withdrawals for your validator.
If you are an Ethereum staker, node operator, infrastructure provider, or otherwise, now is the moment to familiarize yourself with the upcoming Shapella upgrade, test your software, and stay alert. Following this, each public testnet will be upgraded, and if everything proceeds as planned, mainnet will follow shortly.
The Academic Grants Round is active ๐ค
The Academic Grants Round is live!
After last year’s tremendous success in inviting academics worldwide to collaborate on projects related to Ethereum, the program has been revitalized with an exciting new wishlist encompassing areas from cryptography to protocol design and a new category — humanities. Feel free to use the categories and proposed topics for inspiration, but do not let it inhibit your creativity. Projects in any field connected to Ethereum — the protocol, security, applications, impact, and community — will be evaluated.
Applications for Academic Grants are due by February 27, 2023. Apply today ๐