Sepolia & Horsesky Denkun Announcement

• Goerli stains are here: Dencun went live on Goerli on January 17, 2024 at 6:32 UTC. Now you can use Blob there!
• Sepalia and Holesky will be upgraded over the next two weeks. Dencun is activated in Seplia in Epoch. 132608 (January 30, 22:51 UTC) and at Holesky in Epoch 29696 (February 7 11:35 UTC).
• The client releases in this announcement are eligible for both testnet upgrades.
• If the Sepolia and Holesky upgrades go well, Dencun will be next on the Ethereum mainnet.
• Subscribe to receive email notifications about network upgrade announcements, including Dencun mainnet here.

The Dencun network upgrade was successfully activated on Goerli testnet on January 17, 2024. Upgrades to the remaining two testnets, Sepolia and Holesky, are now scheduled for the next time.

The upgrade includes several changes, most notably the introduction of temporary data blobs using EIP-4844, also known as “protodanksharding”, which helps reduce L2 transaction fees.

Dencun continued last year Shapella Upgrade. It will first be deployed on the Ethereum testnet. Once all of these are upgraded smoothly, Dencun will be deployed on the Ethereum mainnet.

Upgrade specifications

The Dencun upgrade combines changes to Ethereum’s consensus and execution layers. A full list of protocol changes can be found here: EIP-7569. For reference:

Deneb

The full Python specification for changes affecting Ethereum’s consensus layer can be found here: Deneb folder ~ Of Ethereum/Consensus Specification Storage.

cancun

The EIP linked above contains the full specification for changes affecting the Ethereum execution layer.

Additionally, the Python specification for this is being implemented in: Ethereum/Execution Specifications Storage.

Finally, Deneb requires changes to the engine API used for communication between consensus layer nodes and execution layer nodes. This is specified in the next item. cancun.md file ~ Of Ethereum/Execution API Storage.

client release

The following client releases will support Dencun: Both Sepolia and Holsky. Mainnet support will be enabled in further versions. There will be another announcement on this blog once this information is revealed.

When choosing which clients to run, validators should pay particular attention to the risks of running multiple clients in the Execution Layer (EL) or Consensus Layer (CL). You will find a description of these risks and their consequences here. here. You’ll find estimates of the current distribution of EL and CL clients, as well as guidance for transitioning from one client to another. here.

Consensus layer Sepalia and Holesky released

memo: When running a validator, both the Consensus Layer Beacon Node and Validator Client must be updated.

Execution layer Seplia and Holesky released

memo: While Reth supports Dencun, the client is still pending a full audit and Not recommended for production use. reference Read Less For more context.

frequently asked questions

Is there anything I need to do as an Ethereum user or Ethereum holder?

Simply put, no.

If you use an exchange, digital wallet, or hardware wallet, you do not need to take any action unless you receive further instructions from the exchange or wallet provider.

If you’re running your own Ethereum node, see the following questions:

As non-staking Sefolia or Holskii Node operator, what should I do?

To be compatible with the upgrade on one of your testnets, update your node’s execution and consensus layer clients to the versions listed in the table above.

as Sefolia or Holskii Staker, what should I do?

To be compatible with the upgrade on one of your testnets, update your node’s execution and consensus layer clients to the versions listed in the table above. Make sure both your beacon nodes and validator clients are updated.

What if I am not a Sepolia or Holesky node operator or staker?

There is nothing now. There will be further announcements regarding Dencun’s mainnet activation. You can sign up to receive email notifications. here.

It is recommended for use by stakers who wish to run the upgrade process further before mainnet. ephemery.devNow supports Dencun.

What happens if I’m a Sepalia, Holesky staker or node operator and don’t participate in the upgrade?

If you are using an Ethereum client that has not been updated to the latest version (listed above), your client will be in sync with the prefork blockchain when the upgrade occurs.

Under the old rules, you will be stuck on an incompatible chain and will not be able to send Ether or operate on the Ethereum network after Dencun.

What should I do as an application or tool developer?

Review the EIP included with Dencun to determine if and how it will impact your project. A lot of new and exciting features are being introduced across both the execution and consensus layers! The only EIPs that affect backward compatibility are: EIP-6780, EIP-7044 and EIP-7514.

Why “Tenkun”?

Upgrades to the consensus layer take star names, and upgrades to the execution layer take Devcon city names. “Decun” is a combination of the first magnitude star Deneb in Cygnus and Cancun, the location of Devcon 3.

Original cover image by: darren lawrenceEdited by Tomo Saito.