tl;dr
Merge sequence is activated 🚀
Mainnet Merge imminent
On the previous day during the Consensus Layer call, client developers reached consensus on Mainnet parameters for the Merge — a Bellatrix epoch of 144896 and a Paris TTD of 58750000000000000000000 (preliminary). The TTD is derived from Proof-of-Work difficulty and is therefore somewhat complex to gauge accurately. The anticipated date is September 15, 2022, but this approximation might contain even a week of variance. During the upcoming week’s All Core Dev call, estimates will be revisited, and the TTD will either be validated or a final correction will be implemented to align more closely with the target date.
Reminder💡: The Merge consists of a sequence of two upgrades — Bellatrix on the Consensus Layer succeeded by Paris on the Execution Layer.
Bellatrix enhances the Beacon Chain to become “Merge aware,” integrating the Merge logic as validators begin attentively observing the Proof-of-Work chain to trigger the Merge transition. Bellatrix will be initiated at the specified epoch.
Paris signifies the Merge transition itself, wherein Ethereum Mainnet transitions its consensus from Proof-of-Work to the Beacon Chain’s Proof-of-Stake. The Paris upgrade will activate at the designated Terminal Total Difficulty (TTD).
⚠️ All hands on deck ⚠️
Stakers, infrastructure providers, users, and community members — this is your alert. The Merge mainnet sequence is initiated. Over the next ~5 weeks, stay vigilant, watch for updates, remain nimble, and be prepared for any scenario. Below is the overview of anticipated dates and events expected to take place:
- [2022/08/18] — TTD re-evaluated and confirmed in All Core Dev call
- [2022/08/18 to 2022/8/22] — EL and CL teams prepare Mainnet software releases
- [2022/08/23] — Client resources, EF blog, and additional community and infrastructure announcements regarding final parameters and releases
- [2022/09/06 11:34:47am UTC] — Bellatrix Mainnet upgrade
- All stakers must update to EL+CL Merge-ready nodes prior to this time
- All infrastructure providers, users, and community members should upgrade PoW nodes to EL+CL Merge-ready nodes before this time
- [Estimated: 2022/9/15] — Paris Mainnet Merge transition
- All infrastructure providers, users, and community members must update to EL+CL Merge-ready nodes before this time. Plan to configure systems at least a week ahead and optimally prior to Bellatrix
Between the initial mainnet release announcements and the ultimate Merge transition, users must remain attentive — keeping track of client channels, the EF blog, and other public resources for any updates. Specifically, client teams may introduce final hardened versions of their software within this period, and users should upgrade if feasible.
A huge shout-out to the engineers, researchers, and community participants who have tirelessly contributed, putting in countless hours into this endeavor. Merge sequence is active 🚀