Understanding the Ethereum Merge
This week's essential reading comes from Tim Beiko's AllCoreDevs Update 011, a comprehensive breakdown of Ethereum's remaining milestones before The Merge.
When Will the Merge Happen?
The official answer—“when it’s ready”—is accurate but unhelpful. Let’s dissect the timeline:
- Client Readiness: Progress of Ethereum clients (e.g., Geth, Besu) adapting to Proof-of-Stake (PoS).
- Difficulty Bomb: A built-in mechanism to incentivize the transition to PoS.
What Is the Ethereum Difficulty Bomb?
The Difficulty Bomb (or "Ice Age") exponentially increases Proof-of-Work (PoW) mining difficulty after a certain block height, slowing block production.
Purpose:
- Historical: Encourage rapid PoS adoption (largely unsuccessful, with 5+ delays).
- Practical: Deter miners from continuing PoW post-Merge by forcing them to maintain custom ETH1 forks.
Current estimates suggest the bomb will severely impact block times (~20 seconds) by mid-to-late August 2024.
👉 Track the Difficulty Bomb’s progress
Plan A vs. Plan B
| Plan | Description | Timeline |
|------|-------------|----------|
| Plan A | Merge before the bomb disrupts the network. | Optimal, but client-dependent. |
| Plan B | Delay the bomb via hard fork, buying more time. | Fallback if clients aren’t ready. |
Key Decision Point: Late May 2024. Developers will choose between:
- Racing to merge (Plan A).
- A stopgap hard fork (Plan B).
Testing the Merge
Mainnet Shadow Forks
Three successful shadow forks (mini-merges on mainnet) have been conducted:
- April 11: Gas limit bug found in Geth (fixed).
- April 23: All clients survived post-merge sync.
- May 5: Smooth execution with minor sync issues.
Upcoming Steps
- June 2024: Merge testnets (Ropsten, Sepolia, Goerli).
- Full Merge: Likely August 2024 if client testing remains on track.
Key Milestones
Beacon Chain Progress
- 10%+ ETH staked (~370K active validators).
- Improved Client Diversity: Prysm’s dominance dropped from 68% to <50%.
Staking Updates
- Revamped Ethereum.org staking page (user-friendly guides).
- Lido (30% staking market share) released decentralization plans.
- Rocket Pool added support for Besu/Nethermind clients.
FAQs
1. Why does the Difficulty Bomb exist?
To push developers toward PoS and prevent post-Merge PoW forks.
2. What happens if the Merge is delayed?
A hard fork (Plan B) will reset the bomb, extending the timeline by months.
3. How can I test the Merge?
Run infrastructure on testnets (Ropsten/Sepolia) and join weekly merge calls.
4. Is August 2024 the definitive Merge date?
No—client readiness and network conditions could adjust this estimate.
Final Thoughts
The Merge is Ethereum’s most ambitious upgrade yet. While Plan A (August 2024) is ideal, developers are prepared for Plan B if needed. Stakeholders should monitor client updates and participate in testnets to ensure a smooth transition.
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency investments carry high risk. Prices are volatile, and capital loss is possible.