Ethereum platform launch organizer Danny Ryan has revealed that the final public testnet for Ethereum 2.0 will launch on August 4, according to a posting on a Discord channel. The testnet is expected to be running until at least November, as these testnets are operational for a minimum of 3 months. The Discord message reads,
After discussions with client teams, the next multi-client testnet (mainnet config including min validator numbers) will have a min genesis time of aug 4 (likely 1 or 2pm utc).
Ryan also spoke of “Launchpad”, an educational deposit interface for hobbyists, which will be included in the testnet. More details on this will be provided in the days to come, along with more information on the testnet itself.
Ethereum 2.0 is a highly anticipated upgrade for the Ethereum (ETH) network, and is expected to bring scaling improvements that will make the network commercially viable on a much larger scale. The transition will be phased, startin with Phase 0, the testnet for which was implemented in April 2020.
More testnets followed and the results so far have been positive. Over 20,000 validators were confirmed to be running at the end of June. Most recently, on July 20, launched attack networks for security researchers to try to exploit potential flaws in the code. Up to $10,000 will be awarded to those who manage to overthrow consensus.
In a newly released Ethereum 2.0 report, ConsenSys suggested that changes may have to be made in order to boost ETH 2.0’s security, including increasing the base reward factor. It also concluded that 78% of the ETH supply in wallets are valid for staking.
