(Ethereum Foundation) The Ethereum Foundation has announced the launch of the Kintsugi testnet as it works to welcome the proof-of-stake, effectively replacing the proof-of-work consensus mechanism.
Ethereum Foundation member Tim Beiko says the Kintsugi testnet allows users to experiment the post-merger scenario of the mainnet and beacon chain and identify issues. The merger is expected in the first half of next year.
The merger between Ethereum’s mainnet, which handles transactions, with the staking Ethereum 2.0’s beacon chain is expected to put an end to the energy-dependent mining process.
The merge will be known as Phase 1.5 and after the combination, Ethereum 2.0 will then move towards Phase 2 that will welcome sharding for improving fees and transaction speeds in late 2022.
Beiko says the Kintsugi testnet will be longer-lived, despite the prevalence of shorter-lived “ephemeral devnets.”
The testnet happens when Ethereum’s beacon chain gains popularity, with more than 8.4 million of ETH having been staked.
ETHUSD is up +1.99%.
