Everything you need to know ahead of Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade

The Ethereum network is poised for a significant upgrade known as the Dencun upgrade, scheduled for implementation in 2024. This upgrade, highly anticipated by the crypto community, aims to address critical issues such as high transaction costs and slow processing times.

By introducing features like proto-danksharding and new opcodes for optimized smart contract execution, the Dencun upgrade seeks to enhance scalability and reduce gas fees for users.

Dencun upgrade in-depth understanding

Understanding the trajectory of Ethereum is a prerequisite for understanding the significance of the Dencun Upgrade. Ethereum has been steadily improved in terms of scalability, security, and efficacy since its inception.

As an ongoing initiative, Ethereum has implemented these upgrades in an effort to rectify the historical limitations that blockchain networks have faced, including high transaction fees, slow processing times, and energy-intensive operations.

This was crucial for transitioning Ethereum from the older proof-of-work (PoW) consensus method. The Beacon Chain, which enabled ETH to be staked and implemented the proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, was released by Ethereum in December 2020.

By September 2022, Ethereum had completed a significant transition known as “The Merge,” which involved wholly switching to proof-of-stake and connecting its main network to the Beacon Chain. The Shanghai upgrade, which was implemented in April 2023, rendered staked ETH withdrawals possible for users and simplified the stake management process for validators (individuals who assist in transaction verification).

Holeyky, a new experimental network introduced by Ethereum on September 28, 2023, is a foundational component of the ETH Dencun upgrade and can support 1.4 million validators.

In light of this, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, Ethereum is scheduled to enter a substantial update known as Dencun, which is expected to decrease gas fees associated with the expansion of networks.

This upgrade aims to enhance the scalability, security, and user experience of the blockchain by integrating components from its predecessors, Cancun and Deneb.

The upgrade was implemented through a substantial collective effort among members of the Ethereum community—developers, researchers, and stakeholders—to expand the limits of the blockchain’s capabilities.

Features that come with the Dencun upgrade

Users and developers on the Ethereum network have faced significant challenges due to high transaction costs. The Dencun Upgrade is expected to substantially decrease these expenses, making it more cheap for a wider range of users who want to interact with the network. This reduction is obtained by optimizing transaction processing and validation.

Along with cheaper gas fees, the upgrade will speed up transactions. This is critical for enhancing the network’s overall efficiency, and it is especially useful for time-sensitive Ethereum applications.

The Dencun Upgrade aims to streamline data management on the Ethereum network. This includes improving data storage and retrieval mechanisms to make information more secure and accessible. Such improvements are critical to maintaining Ethereum’s reputation as a reliable and robust platform.

The upgrade includes the implementation of nine distinct EIPs, each addressing a different component of the network’s functionality. These recommendations have been carefully chosen to synergize and contribute to the overall goals of the Dencun Upgrade.

Ethereum ecosystem reacts to the incoming upgrade

The Dencun Upgrade is expected to have profound implications on the Ethereum ecosystem. The upgrade, which addresses fundamental concerns like as transaction cost and speed, is expected to promote wider adoption of Ethereum for a wide range of applications, from decentralized finance (DeFi) to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and beyond.

Traders are keeping a close eye on Layer 2 tokens including Arbitrum (ARB), Optimism (OP), Lido DAO (LDO), and Metis (METIS) for potential gains, as Ethereum’s greater scalability following the Dencun update is likely to benefit them.

The Dencun upgrade, which has already been tested on different Ethereum testnets, is due to go live on the mainnet this week, following last year’s Shanghai upgrade in April 2023, which enabled users to unstake their ETH from Ethereum’s beacon chain.

The expectation for Gnosis’ Dencun update and its influence on Ethereum’s scalability is tangible, especially given Ether’s recent price increase. Layer 2 tokens like as Arbitrum and Optimism may experience huge gains due to cheaper costs, creating an opportunity for traders to profit.