Ethereum 2.0 will have its first multi-client testnet

Ethereum 2.0 coordinator Danny Ryan gave a new update on the project's progress.Ryan said that two important results have been achieved to meet the technical requirements needed for the Phase 0 launch.testnet is called Altona v0.12, and it will be the last semi-mainstream version before release. However, Ethereum 2.0 does not yet have a scheduled date for formal deployment.

Firstly, the Solidarity deposit contract was formally reviewed, while some problems were identified during the verification which led to its inclusion in the phase 0 rewards program. Ryan gave a brief summary of the progress of the deposit contract, saying that it had been rewritten in Solidity by Alex Beregszaszi and, as reported by CNF, had been verified by a runtime verification using the original specifications (K specification) of the previous version (Vyper).

Despite this, Ryan shared his doubts about the Vyper compiler. This component was verified by Suhabe Bugrara, who is part of the ConsenSys research and development team. Although the contracts were improved and the verification was approved, Ryan stated that Bugrara cannot recommend them as safe while they use the Vyper compiler. Therefore, Ryan made the following recommendation and announcement for the reward program:

To avoid any shred of doubt in the safety of this critical contract, we recommend using the new Solidity contract for eth2 mainnet, and we welcome Solidity contract and EVM bytecode experts to review the contract and associated formal verification. Any issues found qualify for the Eth2 Phase 0 Bounty Program.

Launch of Altona multi-client testnet for Ethereum 2.0

About the upcoming testnet called Altona v0.12, Ryan said that clients have been preparing arduously. He added that the teams are taking extra time to improve security, optimize functionality and “harden” the clients. Ryan noted that this will be the last semi-major version of the network test before it is released:

The time is almost here for the first public, multi-client testnet of v0.12 – Altona with an expected launch date in the next seven days. This net will start entirely controlled by the constituent client teams (planned Lighthouse, Nimbus, Prysm, and Teku), Afri, and some EF team members. After initial launch, the deposit contract address will be released to allow for open, public participation.

The Ethereum 2.0 coordinator also extended the invitation to the community to help Altona grow over time and, as a next step, to become a community-focused testnet with a mainnet configuration of at least 16,284 validators, as Ryan noted:

Altona will be using the new Solidity deposit contract discussed above. Like I said, this is a 100% transparent change to eth2 client software because the public interface is the same. Excited to test it in production nonetheless.

Altona will be a testnet focused on “developers,” Ryan said, rather than the end user. In other words, it will be a “devnet” focused on developers being able to test version 0.12 software in “a production environment” and for eth2 engineers to work on bugs that may arise.

Author : Reynaldo