Ethereum Foundation announces Mekong testnet launch
The Ethereum Foundation announced on Thursday, November 7, that it would introduce the "Mekong testnet," which will let developers test out user experience (UX) changes and get acquainted with upcoming changes for the "Pectra," or Prague-Electra, fork on Ethereum.
The foundation stated that while smaller Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) may see slight spec changes for developers, the features included will eventually be incorporated into the Ethereum mainnet and existing public testnets.
Mekong testnet launch
To enable developers to test future updates before they are released on the Ethereum mainnet, the Ethereum Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Ethereum, launched a short-lived Pectra testnet called Mekong.
Every EIP that has been suggested for the next Pectra Ethereum fork is present in the Mekong testnet. These include modifications to the UX (EIP-7702), deposits and exit mechanisms (EIP-6110/EIP-7002), staking (EIP-7251), and more.
We are very interested to see how wallets will utilize the UX-specific EIPs that are included in this update. Therefore, application and tooling developers, kindly test out the modifications and let us know what you think, as the blog post stated.
As a pre-devcon treat, @ethPandaOps just launched a short-lived Pectra testnet: Mekong 🏞️
— timbeiko.eth (@TimBeiko) November 7, 2024
You can use it to try out EIP-7702, MaxEB consolidations, and more 😄 https://t.co/GVbT9spDr5
The short-lived testnet is a "pre-Devcon" treat, according to Tim Beiko, protocol support lead at the Ethereum Foundation, making reference to the highly anticipated Devcon conference in Bangkok.
Like the Ethereum mainnet, users can also run a node on the testnet, which necessitates both an Execution and Consensus layer node. Additionally, the Mekong testnet will be the first platform to test modifications to Pectra's staking workflow, specifically those pertaining to the deposit and withdrawal processes.
The post added that for stakers, the Mekong testnet will be the first place to test out some significant changes to the staking workflow that are coming to Pectra.
Other Ethereum networks are unaffected by Mekong, a new testnet. Nonetheless, the Ethereum Foundation stated that the Mekong's testing will help guide the implementation of the Pectra update on other Ethereum networks.
What Is Pectra Upgrade?
Pectra, which stands for Prague-Electra, is the next Ethereum network upgrade. "Electra" describes the modifications on the consensus layer client side, whereas "Prague" describes the execution client side upgrade.
In addition to a number of smaller EIPs, Pectra has three main features and updates:
- Execution Layer-triggered exits
- Account abstraction
- Maximum effective balance are the main updates.
The upgrade is anticipated to launch in the first quarter of 2025.
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