Summary
The article discusses the launch of the Dencun upgrade on the second of three testnets for the Ethereum blockchain. This upgrade introduces the “Protodunk Sharding” feature, which aims to reduce the cost of layer 2 blockchain transactions and make data availability cheaper. The upgrade is seen as a crucial element in supporting the growth of the Ethereum ecosystem. The testnet Sepolia successfully finalized the upgrade, and next week it will launch on Ethereum’s final testnet, Holesky. After that, developers will set a date for the upgrade to be activated on the main blockchain. Denkun was originally expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is considered the biggest upgrade for the Ethereum blockchain since the Shapella upgrade last March.
Key Points
1. Dencun is the largest Ethereum blockchain upgrade since early 2023 and is now live on the second of three testnets. It introduces the long-awaited project Dencun and its “Protodunk Sharding” feature, bringing the upgrade one step closer to reality.
2. Protodunk Sharding is designed to reduce the cost of layer 2 blockchain transactions and make data availability cheaper. It achieves this by introducing new compartmentalized spaces for data called “blobs”. This upgrade is seen as a key element of the Ethereum ecosystem roadmap to support growth, especially as the number of Layer 2 chains on the Ethereum blockchain is rapidly expanding.
3. The Denkun upgrade on the testnet Sepolia began on the 30th and was finalized the same day. Sepolia is the second of three testnets running Denkun’s simulations. After launching on Ethereum’s final testnet, Holesky, developers are expected to set a date to activate Denkun on the main blockchain. Denkun was originally expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is considered the biggest upgrade for the Ethereum blockchain since the Shapella upgrade in March.