Ethereum Sets February Date for Sepolia Testnet to Get Shanghai Hard Fork

The second round of testing of staked ether (ETH) withdrawals follows simulations on the Zhejiang testnet. The Goerli testnet would be next, ahead of next month's planned Shanghai hard fork on the main Ethereum blockchain.

AccessTimeIconFeb 10, 2023 at 9:47 p.m. UTC
Updated Feb 10, 2023 at 10:00 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Ethereum developers agreed on Feb. 28 as the target date for pushing the Sepolia test network (testnet) through the Shanghai upgrade, the blockchain’s big upcoming move to allow withdrawals of staked ether (ETH).

Sepolia, a closed testnet for the Ethereum developers only, is the second such network to undergo the upgrade. Earlier this week, the Zhejiang testnet ran its own successful simulation of staked ETH withdrawals. There’s one more test network set to get the upgrade, and then the main Ethereum blockchain is expected to undergo the Shanghai hard fork next month.

The Sepolia testnet is closed to developers who run validators on the network. By contrast, Zhejiang is a public testnet, meaning that it was open to anyone, including staking providers, who wanted to practice the release of staked ETH.

After Sepolia goes through its own round of testing, Goerli will be the final testnet to get the Shanghai upgrade. Goerli will be the most anticipated test, given that it is the largest public Ethereum testnet, representing the last chance for staking providers to ensure that staked ETH withdrawals work before Shanghai goes live on the mainnet.

Barnabas Busa, a DevOps engineer at the Ethereum Foundation, told CoinDesk that the difference between the three tests comes down to “the number of visitors participating and network load.”

Shanghai will be the first hard fork for Ethereum since it went through the Merge in September, which switched out its old energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) model for a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. Under PoS, ETH is “staked” on the blockchain as a mechanism for helping to validate and secure transactions.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Margaux Nijkerk

Margaux Nijkerk reports on the Ethereum protocol and L2s. A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Emory universities, she has a masters in International Affairs & Economics. She holds a small amount of ETH and other altcoins.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.