Ethereum's
core developers assembled yesterday for a final scheduled meeting before the
blockchain network, the world's second-largest by total value, undergoes its
next upgrade, expected on October 16.
Held via
Google Hangouts at 14:00 UTC, the discussion centered on ensuring all ethereum
clients upgrade their software in unison so as to avoid any unintended splits.
For the fork to occur across all nodes uniformly, clients need to include the
necessary changes that accompany the upgrade – called Byzantium – as well as
the trigger at block number 4,370,000 that will mark the official shift to the
new code.
Once
complete, the hard fork will introduce improvements to ethereum, such as making
the network faster with fewer data constraints. Additionally, Byzantium – which
constitutes the first of two releases in the wider Metropolis upgrade – will
ramify security measures and implement new variables that might pave the way
for enhanced privacy on the network.
But while
past upgrades have proven more complicated, according to today's discussion,
developers expect clients that have yet to release an update expect to do so by
next week. Already, the network's most popular client, Go Ethereum (Geth) has
published its release.
Further,
though the deadline might seem to mark a challenge for client developers, the
core development team believes the later release will favor the upgrade by
keeping it top of mind.
The meeting
did reveal some hiccups, however. For example, there was the realization that
some client developers had forgotten to test their software against the lower
mining difficulty level that will be introduced in Byzantium.
Still,
while no meetings are scheduled between now and the fork, developers left the
door open to other conversations – if only in the event of an emergency.
Meeting
chairman Hudson Jameson concluded:
"We'll talk at the hard fork if something goes wrong, otherwise, we'll talk on the 20th."
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