Ethereum has been undergoing a series of updates since its creation in 2015. The last update is the “Merge,” speculated to be ready by June. But reports from the developers have it that it keeps running into some difficulties. Not most people understand the process involved in Ethereum migrating from one feature to the other. So, if you are looking to buy Ethereum any time soon, you will have to wait a while ‘cos the Merge update might be taking a while.
The Merge is a part that is considered transitional from the present Ethereum Mainnet to the PoS system. Tim Beiko, the Ethereum main developer, said that the process is gradual; it is progressively insightful. One of Tim’s statements revealed that some steps are necessary to guarantee Ethereum’s successful migration to PoS. But before that, he insisted that Ethereum needs (what he referred to as) “a few mainnet Shadow Forks without issues before the migration can happen.” The developers of Ethereum launched their first shadow fork in April. It was developed to assure developers of the stability of the mainnet and testnets
Some challenges associated with Migrating Ethereum to PoS
Before you make that move to buy Ethereum, you should talk about one of the developers named Marius van der Wilden, the man who introduced the concept of a Shadow fork, which later became a success. Mr. Marius, however, admitted that the concept also comes with its problems despite the recorded success. Let’s further explain this scenario, two features: an Ethereum software system provider, Nethermind, and a Java-based open-source Ethereum client, Hyperledger Besu, have halted the transition process.
Also, there is a problem with the appropriate gas limit needed for the process. Beiko, said in one of his interviews, confirmed that there was indeed a problem encountered while working on the migration process. He pointed out that one of the main challenges was encountered in the shower fork; Beiko, in one of his statements, hailed the performance of the second mainnet shadow fork (MSF2) so far.
From the way the process is designed, it is meant to pass through some shadow forks without encountering any issues. After that, Ethereum clients are expected to come in. The software needed for this purpose is meant to pave a path for the Ethereum node to recognize the nodes and read the blocks present on the Ethereum software packages and Ethereum clients. These two features are meant to come into the Ethereum smart contracts and blockchain (respectively), that way, they can pass through many merge test protocols and suites.
The Three Tests Ethereum Must Pass
The Hive
Those who usually buy Ethereum for keeps will be familiar with this feature. This is the first test procedure the Ethereum needs to undergo before migrating to PoS. This process can also be useful while testing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), which different clients use during communication. To improve Hive, devs are expected to collaborate with Kurtosis.
Kurtosis
This is a platform designed solely for end-to-end testing of mission-critical blockchain structures. The Kurtosis somehow contributes to implementing any problem encountered across the monitors, the clients, and the metrics of other network health. But aside from the Hive and Kurtosis, there are many other testing tools and protocols developed by research, testing, and client groups to assist developers in dictating potential challenges. Some of them include debugging APIs, fuzzers, bad block generators, etc.
The Merge
The third one is the Merge, which is not so popular among those who buy Ethereum or its equivalent. The Merge only exists within the public testnets: Sepolia, Ropsten, and Goerli. The Merge is the final requirement you need before scheduling a Merge date for a mainnet. The public testnets need broader coordination across the entire Ethereum ecosystem.
While you continue buying Ethereum as an investor or regular trader, you need to focus more on trading for profit than knowing what’s happening behind these coins or tokens. Although it is ok to know what the developers are doing to make them better, don’t stress it if you think they are too ambiguous to comprehend. Aside from people who buy Ethereum, more emphasis now lies on the challenges developers encounter while implementing the Ethereum PoS migration project, trying to make it pass through the PoS instead of PoW. This will cause the blockchain system to be less scalable and manageable.
