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The Ethereum Foundation has officially announced the activation of the Dencun network upgrade on all testnets, paving the way for its deployment on the Ethereum mainnet. The upgrade is slated to occur on March 13, 2024, at 13:55 UTC, following successful testing on various test networks. Participants, including node operators and stakers, are required to update their software ahead of the scheduled upgrade. The Dencun upgrade, succeeding the Shapella upgrade, brings significant changes such as the introduction of ephemeral data blobs with EIP-4844, aimed at reducing Layer 2 transaction fees. A community livestream will be available for those interested in monitoring the event.
The upgrade encompasses alterations to both the consensus and execution layers of Ethereum, detailed in EIP-7569. Key protocol modifications include EIP-1153 (Transient storage opcodes), EIP-4788 (Beacon block root in the EVM), EIP-4844 (Shard Blob Transactions), and several others outlined in the article. For detailed specifications, specifications for consensus layer changes can be found in the Deneb folder of the ethereum/consensus-specs repository, while execution layer changes are outlined in the linked EIPs and a Python specification in progress in the ethereum/execution-specs repository. Furthermore, modifications to the Engine API for communication between consensus and execution layer nodes are detailed in the cancun.md file of the ethereum/execution-apis repository.
The Ethereum Foundation has listed client releases supporting Dencun on the Ethereum mainnet, covering various clients including Lighthouse, Lodestar, Nimbus, Prysm, Teku (consensus layer), and Besu, Erigon, go-ethereum, Nethermind, Reth (execution layer). Validators are cautioned about the risks of running a majority client and provided with resources for client distribution and switching guides.
For Ethereum users or Ether holders, no immediate action is required unless advised by their exchange or wallet provider. However, node operators must update their clients to the specified versions to ensure compatibility with the Dencun upgrade. Stakers are also advised to update both their beacon node and validator client, with the option to practise the upgrade process on ephemery.dev.
Failure to participate in the upgrade may lead to syncing issues with the pre-fork blockchain, resulting in incompatibility with the post-Dencun Ethereum network. Application and tooling developers are encouraged to review the included EIPs for potential impacts on their projects, particularly noting EIPs with backward compatibility implications.
The name “Dencun” is a combination of “Deneb,” a star name symbolising the consensus layer upgrade, and “Cancun,” a significant location for Devcon, representing the execution layer upgrade. This naming convention continues the tradition of naming Ethereum upgrades after celestial and noteworthy locations.