Ethereum’s network will be upgraded in a planned manner. At block number 9,200,000 we anticipate this will occur Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Due to variable times and time zones, the exact date may change.

It is important to upgrade your node before Wednesday, December 30, 2019, to account for possible delays.

ethernodes.org has provided Istanbul Node statistics and a timing counter at https://ethernodes.org/muir_glacier. etherscan.io also has a timer at https://etherscan.io/block/countdown/9200000. Real-time progress of the network can be monitored at http://forkmon.ethdevops.io/ (this will be updated shortly before the fork).

What is Muir Glacier?

Muir Glacier is the title of the upcoming Ethereum network update. Previous updates have also been referred to as Istanbul, constantinople, and spurious dragon.

As an Ether user or holder, is there anything I need to do?

If you are using an exchange (i.e. Coinbase, Kraken, or Binance), a web wallet service (like Metamask, MyCrypto, or MyEtherWallet), a mobile wallet service (like Coinbase Wallet, Status.im, or Trust Wallet), or a hardware wallet (such as Ledger, Trezor, KeepKey, or e-KeepKey) you don’t need to do anything unless your exchange/wallet service asks you to.

What should I do as a miner/node operator?

Download the most recent version of your Ethereum client:

NOTE: Harmony (ethereumJ) is now an obsolete client and will no longer be supported after Istanbul. Besu is a mainnet compatible Ethereum client written in Java.

Where can I find out more about this update?

The Ethereum Cat Herders have posted a blog which explains why the network is being upgraded and what changes will come with the update. You can view the blog post Here.

Thank you!

We are grateful to the entire Ethereum Community and all Ethereum Developers from all platforms and clients who have come together to share their ideas and feedback.

DISCLAIMER: This is a fast-developing and highly technical arena. If you choose to follow the advice in this article and continue participating, it is essential to understand how it will affect you. It is important to understand that there may be risks, such as unforeseen errors. If you opt to follow these guidelines, you are responsible for the consequences. This article and its advice do not constitute a sale and do not provide any warranties, except those related to the Ethereum network or the Ethereum Clients referred to herein.