Byzantium activated in Ropsten after block 1700000 mined

As planned, the first stage of the Metropolis hard-fork endorsed by Vitalik Buterin has been activated in the Ropsten testnet. Previous reports suggested the block after which the change is implemented will be found on 18 September 2017, but the Ethereum enthusiasts had to wait extra day.

Now that the update is here, it’s better to remind what it brings. Byzantium, being the first phase of the Metropolis upgrade implementation that the founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, fully supports, is going to provide fresh solutions against bad actors in the network and their malevolent plans.

Geth 1.7 is another major change to the Ethereum protocol currently implemented in the Ropsten. This tool is used for running Ethereum blockchain nodes and communication with the blockchain. Among other changes is the reduction of the required fast-synced node size from 26.3 to 14.9 GB.

Note that the changes have been implemented in Ropsten, which is a testing ground for future Ethereum updates.