The second of three test networks saw the launch of the largest Ethereum blockchain upgrade since early 2023, which moved the much-anticipated “Dencun” project and its “proto-danksharding” feature closer to reality.By creating a new, divided area for data called “blobs,” proto-danksharding aims to lower the cost of transactions for layer-2 blockchains and lower the cost of data availability.The update is viewed as a crucial component of the ecosystem’s vision for facilitating the rapid creation of layer-2 chains on top of Ethereum.
The Dencun update took place on Thursday at 22:51 UTC (5:51 PM ET) on the Sepolia testnet, and it was completed by 23:10 UTC.Three testnets are being run through a Dencun simulation, with Sepolia being the second.Dencun went up earlier this month on the Goerli testnet, but at first it was unable to complete.
Dencun’s final Ethereum testnet, Holesky, will go live the following week on February 7.Developers will then sign a date to enable Dencun on the main blockchain after that.Testnets replicate a primary blockchain and facilitate low-risk modifications to the protocol or underlying decentralized applications by developers.Dencun, which was initially scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023, will be the largest update for Ethereum since Shapella, which was released in March of last year and allowed for staked ether (ETH) withdrawals.