To prepare for Ethereum 2.0, the Ethereum Foundation announced in late January that the terms "Ethereum 1.0" (ETH1) and "Ethereum 2.0" (ETH2) would be phased out. These are now referred to as the execution layer and consensus layer, respectively. Together, they form the new Ethereum network.
The merge development is nearly complete and currently in public testing, with an expected completion date in Q2 2022. This merge represents Ethereum’s most significant upgrade yet, ensuring seamless transition for its decentralized network—keeping services uninterrupted while upgrading thousands of nodes without disrupting existing contracts or assets.
The Ethereum core developers and community have prepared extensively, and users eagerly await the changes. So, when will the merge happen, and what transformations will follow?
How the Merge Is Triggered
The Beacon Chain monitors Ethereum’s current block difficulty (total difficulty). Once this difficulty reaches or exceeds a critical threshold (TERMINAL_TOTAL_DIFFICULTY), the next block becomes the final Proof-of-Work (PoW) block. Subsequent blocks will be constructed by the Beacon Chain.
Timeline for the Merge
All preparations are complete, with the merge expected in Q2—likely by June 2022. However, delays are possible if issues arise during public testing (e.g., critical bug fixes).
The June target aligns with EIP-4345 (Arrow Glacier upgrade), which postponed the difficulty bomb to June 2022. If the merge isn’t finalized by then, another delay may occur—though the community aims to avoid this.
Ethereum After the Merge
Post-merge, Ethereum will consist of:
- Execution Layer (ex-Eth1): Handles transactions and data.
- Consensus Layer (ex-Eth2): Manages PoS consensus via the Beacon Chain.
Architecture Overview
- Execution layer nodes and Beacon Chain nodes operate independently.
- Each has its own P2P network and API endpoints.
- Communication occurs via the Engine API.
Execution Layer Changes
Post-merge, the execution layer removes PoW-related components while retaining core functions like EVM execution. Key updates include:
1. Block Format Modifications
- PoW fields (
nonce,mixHash,difficulty) are zeroed out. extraDatalimited to 32 bytes.- Validations for uncle blocks (
ommers) are removed.
2. Ether Issuance
- Uncle block rewards are discontinued.
- Transaction fees are paid to
feeRecipientinExecutionPayload.
3. Block Broadcasting
- Execution layers stop broadcasting blocks (
NewBlockHashes,NewBlockmessages deprecated). - Continues syncing network state and maintaining transaction pools.
4. Engine API Integration
Three critical interfaces facilitate layer coordination:
engine_newPayload: ValidatesExecutionPayload(returnsVALID/INVALID/SYNCING).engine_forkchoiceUpdated: Requests new block creation.engine_getPayload: RetrievesExecutionPayloaddata.
Beacon Chain Post-Merge
Launched in December 2020, the Beacon Chain currently reaches consensus on empty blocks. Post-merge, it finalizes real blocks:
- Consensus layer triggers block creation via
engine_forkchoiceUpdated. - Execution layer returns a
payloadId. - Consensus fetches
ExecutionPayloadusingengine_getPayload. - Validates data via
engine_newPayload. - Finalizes with
engine_forkchoiceUpdated.
FAQs
Q1: Will existing ETH1 contracts still work after the merge?
A: Yes. The execution layer ensures backward compatibility.
Q2: How does PoS replace PoW in Ethereum?
A: Validators (stakers) replace miners, reducing energy consumption by ~99.95%.
Q3: Can users stake ETH after the merge?
A: Yes—via the Beacon Chain’s staking mechanism.
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References
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