Ethereum Developers Decide to Delay the Difficulty Bomb, Why It’s Bad for The Merge Upgrade?

Bhushan Akolkar
June 11, 2022
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Earlier this week, the Ethereum developers implemented the much-awaited Merge upgrade on the Ropsten testnet. But on a Friday call, the developers decided to delay the difficulty-bomb raising doubts within the Ethereum community.

First-thing-first, the difficulty bomb is a special code that increases the computing difficulty of mining ETH on the Ethereum blockchain network. The difficulty bomb has been designed to eventually boot miners off the Ethereum blockchain as the network prepares for a transition to Proof-of-Stake (PoS).

But delaying the difficulty bomb would give more time to miners to stay on the Ethereum blockchain. It means that that would further delay the implementation of ‘The Merge’ upgrade on Ethereum mainnet.

While many called the Ropsten Merge event to be a success, the Ethereum developers have been dealing with fixing bugs that they discovered. There’s yet no fixed date for the implementation of The Merge on the Ethereum mainnet. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said that if no major issues are encountered, it could happen as soon as August 2022.

The decision to delay the difficulty bomb has raised concerns that it could lead to further delay in the PoS transition. During the Friday’s call, a participant named Thomas Jay Rush said:

“Delaying it gives you time. It looks bad to the community, but there’s nothing you can do about that.”

Will The Ethereum Merge Happen in 2022?

Last month, Vitalik Buterin said that if the developers need more time, they could push The Merge upgrade to September/October. Speaking to Bloomberg, Ethereum core developer Tim Beiko said that there’s still a 1-10% chance that The Merge won’t happen this year.

Justifying the recent delay of the difficulty bomb, Beiko said that he’s worried about the developer burnout to get the Merge done. Beiko said:

“If we do delay this, I think it should be a realistic delay to still maintain a sense of urgency. But too much pressure pushes teams to burn out, that’s also a situation we don’t want to be in.”

“Maybe we are not quite at the mainnet code,” he added. This has dampened all the excitement around The Merge upgrade on Ethereum.

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Why Trust CoinGape

CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights Read more…to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.

About Author
About Author
Bhushan is a seasoned crypto writer with over eight years of experience spanning more than 10,000 contributions across multiple platforms like CoinGape, CoinSpeaker, Bitcoinist, Crypto News Flash, and others. Being a Fintech enthusiast, he loves reporting across Crypto, Blockchain, DeFi, Global Macros with a keen understanding in financial markets. 

He is committed to continuous learning and stays motivated by sharing the knowledge he acquires. In his free time, Bhushan enjoys reading thriller fiction novels and occasionally explores his culinary skills. Bhushan has a bachelors degree in electronics engineering, however, his interest in finance and economics drives him to crypto and blockchain.
Investment disclaimer: The content reflects the author’s personal views and current market conditions. Please conduct your own research before investing in cryptocurrencies, as neither the author nor the publication is responsible for any financial losses.
Ad Disclosure: This site may feature sponsored content and affiliate links. All advertisements are clearly labeled, and ad partners have no influence over our editorial content.