After two years since its inception at ETHDenver and numerous testing calls and devnets, the long-awaited protodanksharding upgrade is finally going live on the Ethereum mainnet. This exciting update, dubbed “Dencun,” will introduce ephemeral data blobs with EIP-4844, reducing L2 transaction fees.
Dencun will be activated on the Ethereum mainnet at epoch 269568, on March 13, 2024 at 13:55 UTC. To ensure compatibility, node operators and stakers must upgrade their software to the versions listed in the announcement. To receive email alerts for future network upgrades, subscribe here.
The Dencun network upgrade has already been successfully activated on all testnets and is now set for deployment on the Ethereum mainnet. This upgrade, following last year’s Shapella update, includes several changes, with the most notable being the introduction of protodanksharding. To follow the upgrade live, join the community livestream.
To understand the changes in detail, you can refer to the full list of protocol changes in EIP-7569. The changes affecting Ethereum’s consensus layer are specified in the deneb folder of the ethereum/consensus-specs repository, while those affecting the execution layer are in the EIPs linked above and are being implemented in the ethereum/execution-specs repository. Additionally, changes to the Engine API are specified in the cancun.md file of the ethereum/execution-apis repository.
The following client releases support Dencun on the Ethereum mainnet. When choosing a client, validators should be mindful of the risks of running a majority client on either the execution layer (EL) or consensus layer (CL), as explained here. You can also find an estimate of the current EL and CL client distribution and guides for switching from one client to another.
For non-staking node operators, updating your node’s execution and consensus layer clients to the versions listed above will ensure compatibility with the mainnet Dencun upgrade. For stakers, it is crucial to update both the beacon node and validator client.
As an Ethereum user or Ether holder, there is nothing you need to do. You can join the livestream to watch the upgrade as it happens. If you use an exchange, digital wallet, or hardware wallet, no action is required unless informed otherwise by your provider.
Application and tooling developers should review the EIPs included in Dencun to determine if and how they affect their projects. The only EIPs with backwards compatibility implications are EIP-6780, EIP-7044, and EIP-7514.
Lastly, the Dencun upgrade combines changes to both Ethereum’s consensus and execution layers. Thank you to everyone who helped bring this upgrade to fruition and deliver one more major overhaul to the Ethereum network. The original cover image, by Darren Lawrence with modifications by Tomo Saito, captures the excitement of this milestone.
