Breaking: Ethereum Merge Officially Starts, Client Releases Bellatrix And Mainnet Update

Ethereum client releases required upgrade v22.8.1 for Mainnet users to prepare for the Merge, with Bellatrix and transition configuration.
By Varinder Singh
Ethereum Developer Releases Key Warning Before The Merge

The Ethereum 2.0 client Teku releases required update v22.8.1 for all Mainnet users to prepare for the Merge. The update contains the Bellatrix upgrade and Merge transition configuration. All Ethereum Mainnet users are required to upgrade before September 6, the date of Bellatrix activation on Mainnet.

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Ethereum Client Teku Releases Upgrade for the Bellatrix and the Merge Transition

Ethereum 2.0 client Teku in a tweet on August 22 announced the release of v22.8.1, a required update that sets the Bellatrix upgrade on September 6 and readiness for the Merge on September 15.

In order to transition to proof-of-stake (PoS), all Mainnet nodes need to upgrade to the required Teku version. It includes connecting to a local execution client’s engine API and setting a default fee recipient by validators.

Mainnet nodes must upgrade both Teku and the execution client to prepare for the Merge. Failing to upgrade execution clients will report a “Merge transition configuration error” with Teku. The local terminal total difficulty (TTD) and terminal block hash mismatch with remote execution client values will invalidate the transition on the Mainnet node.

Also, the additions and improvements in the upgrade include setting the Bellatrix fork epoch and TTD for the Merge, allowing to configure multiple beacon nodes for a single validator client, and simplifying the use of standard REST API.

Moreover, it includes bug fixes related to terminal PoW block, debugs calculated payload, and repeated timeout exceptions.

All Mainnet users must upgrade to v22.8.1 before the Bellatrix activation date on September 6. The upgrade includes important configurations for the Merge preparation.

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Ethereum Developers Anticipates September 15 as the Final Date

Ethereum core developers confirmed a final mainnet TTD of 58750000000000000000000 during the last Ethereum Core Developers meeting on August 18. It means developers are optimistic about the Merge going live on September 15.

Vitalik Buterin also confirmed earlier that the Merge depends on the hash rate. An average hash rate of 872.2 TH/s is enough to achieve the TTD of 58750000000000000000000 on September 15. According to OKLink “Ethereum The Merge Countdown” data, the current hash rate is 872 TH/s.

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Varinder Singh
Varinder has over 10 years of experience and is known as a seasoned leader for his involvement in the fintech sector. With over 5 years dedicated to blockchain, crypto, and Web3 developments, he has experienced two Bitcoin halving events making him key opinion leader in the space. At CoinGape Media, Varinder leads the editorial decisions, spearheading the news team to cover latest updates, markets trends and developments within the crypto industry. The company was recognized as Best Crypto Media Company 2024 for high impact and quality reporting. Being a Master of Technology degree holder, analytics thinker, technology enthusiast, Varinder has shared his knowledge of disruptive technologies in over 5000+ news, articles, and papers.
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