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

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.

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.

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.