by • The Ethereum ecosystem is edging closer to its latest milestone as the Shanghai upgrade draws near.
• The Merge marked a significant milestone for the Ethereum network in 2022, with the blockchain platform shifting from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake consensus.
• The upcoming changes feature two simultaneous upgrades amalgamated to encompass all facets of the upgrade.
Ethereum’s Upcoming Milestone: The Shanghai Upgrade
The Ethereum ecosystem is quickly approaching its next major milestone – the Shanghai upgrade. This highly anticipated update will enable staked ETH withdrawals from Ethereum’s Beacon Chain, marking a significant shift from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake consensus. In addition, it will also incorporate two simultaneous upgrades amalgamated under one name: Shanghai.
Proof of Stake Consensus
The Merge marked a major shift in the way that transactions are processed and new blocks are added to the network on Ethereum. It introduced validators as new “miners” of the network, who stake ETH in order to process transactions and earn rewards accordingly. Those that locked up ETH to become validators have been unable to withdraw their holdings until now; however, this will change with the activation of staking withdrawals thanks to the Shanghai upgrade.
Simultaneous Upgrades: Capella & Shanghai
The upcoming upgrade includes two simultaneous upgrades which work together seamlessly – Capella and Shanghai – enabling staked ETH deposits into execution layer wallets alongside other system improvements and features. As Justin Florentine, a staff protocol engineer for Hyperledger Besu at ConsenSys explains, this is “the first simultaneous upgrade of Ethereum’s execution layer and consensus layer” and marks an exciting step forward for Ethereum users worldwide.
What To Expect From The Upgrade
In addition to enabling staking withdrawals from Beacon Chain wallets, there are several other aspects that users should expect when it comes time for the upgrade:
• Improved smart contract functionality
• Enhancements related to scalability & security
• Optimizations related to gas costs & miner rewards
Conclusion
The upcoming Shanghai upgrade marks an important milestone in Ethereum’s journey towards becoming a more secure, efficient and user friendly platform for developers around the world. With improved smart contract functionality, enhanced security protocols and optimized gas costs & miner rewards, this highly anticipated update promises big things for Ether holders everywhere!
