The next Ethereum network update, Berlin, is scheduled for April 14, 2021, but it is a backward-incompatible fork and therefore requires nodes to update their software to stay in sync with the main network.

Ethereum 2.0 coordinator, Danny Ryan, shared a post in which he informs that stakers must update their nodes on a mandatory basis

. , before March 17, to stay connected to the main network before the hard fork of the chain based on proof of work (PoW).

He added that the Beacon Chain network operators need to put an endpoint on the Ethereum Pow network to continue to successfully perform all the functions that they serve as validators. By doing so, a link will be created between the components of both systems to allow new deposits of the stakers.

The nodes that are not updated will synchronize with the blockchain prior to hard for k once the update occurs. This means that if they don’t comply with the new set of rules, will get stuck in an incompatible chain ; therefore, they will not be able to send ethers or operate on the Ethereum network after the fork.

To comply with the process smoothly, validators must update their PoW nodes, depending on the version of the running client. In this sense, if they operate on the Pyrmont test network, they must update their Goerli nodes before March 17 , 2021. But, if they validate on the main network or mainnet , they must do so before April 14, 2021, Ryan noted.

In addition, the coordinator recommended that the stakers also update their Beacon Chain network nodes. “There have been a lot of juicy optimizations recently for all mainnet clients. To make sure your validators work at optimal performance (and profitability), get the latest version and give it a try, ”he said.

Exchanges and other service providers, as well as users, are not forced to take some action to adapt to the update.

One more step on the path of the Ethereum transition

Since its inception, the Ethereum blockchain has operated with the same proof-of-work mechanism that Bitcoin uses. But for years, developers have been planning the transition to migrate the consensus type of proof of stake (PoS) .

This system will replace miners with validators and is expected that reduces the use of grid energy. There is also the expectation that, once the transition is complete, the Ethereum network will be able to process more transactions per second and reduce the high fees that users suffer today.

In fact, The four improvement proposals that will be activated with the hard fork Berlin, are part of a larger effort to build the new Ethereum 2.0 network , although it is not set yet when this process will end. To achieve this, the ecosystem must face a series of major updates to ensure that the protocol is secure, sustainable and scalable.

In December 2019, after the Istanbul fork, the Ethereum community agreed that The next updates would have the names of the cities in which the DevCon has been held. Therefore, the next hard fork will be called Berlin, since that was where the first edition of the important event was held. The next one, scheduled for the month of July, will be called London, where the second edition took place.

As CriptoNoticias reported, the hard fork Berlin will take place on April 14, 2021 at the height of block 12,244,000 of the main network. According to the schedule established by Ethereum All Core Developers , before activating the Berlin fork in the main network, it will be activated in the test networks, the first is did on March 10 in Ropsten. The process will continue in Goerli, on March 17; and in Rinkeby, on March 24.

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