The Ethereum development community is gearing up for the potential launch of Devnet-10, which could be the final developer-focused testnet before the eagerly anticipated Ethereum developer conference, Devconnect, in November. Devnet-10’s primary purpose is to test the new maximum epoch churn limit outlined in EIP 7514.
Ethereum Devnet-10 Approaches
During the recent All Core Developers Consensus (ACDC) call #119, Ethereum developers discussed the progress and status of Devnet-9, the current developer-focused testnet. Devnet-9, launched on September 29, has achieved a commendable network participation rate of 90%, indicating its overall health.
However, the journey has not been without its challenges. It was discovered that several bugs had infiltrated the client software, specifically affecting the execution layer (EL) clients, including Reth, Besu, and Nethermind.
Developers have also been actively testing Miner Extractable Value (MEV)-related tooling on Devnet-9. Around 20% of validators on the network are running MEV-Boost software, which is an essential aspect of Ethereum’s ongoing development.
While discussing Devnet-10’s potential launch, developers considered whether it could proceed without all EL clients being ready, given that most of the issues identified on Devnet-9 were related to this layer. The primary focus of Devnet-10 is to test the consensus layer (CL) client logic, specifically the validator churn.
The community is keen to ensure that Devnet-10 is stable and has close to 100% participation before moving forward. Some client teams are actively working on mitigating issues related to the duplication of blobs, a critical aspect of Ethereum’s consensus mechanism.
The Ethereum Foundation aims to launch the Dencun upgrade on the Goerli test network, a public Ethereum testnet, before Devconnect. This ambitious goal has led developers to target a Devnet-10 launch around October 19 to ensure that all necessary testing and preparations are complete in time for Devconnect in mid-November.
In addition to addressing bugs and testing, developers are also working on client interoperability using the new block V3 API. They plan to thoroughly test this API’s functionality and compatibility before considering a dedicated short-term devnet to ensure its seamless integration.
Nevertheless, the Ethereum community remains dedicated to thorough testing and collaboration as they progress towards successfully implementing the Dencun upgrade and further enhancing the Ethereum network.
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