Major Milestone for Ethereum’s Dencun Upgrade
Ethereum’s eagerly awaited network upgrade, known as Dencun, has achieved a significant milestone by going live on the Sepolia testnet. This follows its successful activation on the Goerli testnet earlier this month. Dencun introduces “proto-danksharding” to Ethereum, aiming to significantly reduce transaction costs and enhance scalability for layer-2 blockchains.
Proto-Danksharding: Enhanced Performance
Proto-danksharding, a key feature of Dencun, is an essential step towards making Ethereum a truly scalable blockchain. This upgrade will lay the foundation for full danksharding, which promises even greater cost reductions and performance improvements. With full implementation, Dencun will enable the Ethereum network to handle over 100,000 transactions per second.
Final Testing Phase on Holesky Testnet
Dencun’s deployment on the Holesky testnet, scheduled for February 7, represents the last of three testnet implementations. Once this final test is successful, the Ethereum team will set a date for Dencun’s activation on the main blockchain.
Introducing ‘Blobs’ for Efficient Data Handling
The Dencun upgrade also brings in ‘blobs,’ a new mechanism designed to decrease rollup costs on Ethereum’s mainnet. Blobs compress transaction data off-chain, thus reducing the storage and processing burden on the network. The temporary storage of data in blobs, combined with cryptographic commitments, ensures secure and efficient transaction verification.
Dencun Live on Sepolia Testnet
The Dencun upgrade went live on the Sepolia testnet at 22:51 UTC on Tuesday, marking another uneventful yet crucial step towards its mainnet launch. Ethereum’s core developers aim to improve scalability and lower gas fees through the proto-danksharding feature in Dencun.
Looking Ahead: A Scalable Ethereum Network
Ethereum’s last major upgrade, Shapella, took place in March 2023, focusing on staked ETH withdrawals. The upcoming Dencun upgrade, with its innovative approach to data storage and transaction processing, positions Ethereum for a future of greater scalability and reduced costs, making it a more efficient blockchain for users and developers alike.
