Ethereum Fusaka Hard Fork final testing completed! Countdown to Mainnet launch on December 3.

The next Hard Fork of Ethereum, Fusaka, went live on the Hoodi Testnet on Tuesday, marking the final step towards launching the Mainnet expected by the end of the year. The Ethereum Foundation previously stated that the Fusaka Hard Fork Mainnet will launch at least 30 days after the Hoodi Testnet, with core developers tentatively scheduling the Hard Fork for December 3.

Three major Testnets validation completed, Mainnet countdown starts in December

(Source: X)

The deployment of the Ethereum Fusaka Hard Fork Testnet follows a strict three-phase verification process. Earlier this month, the Holesky and Sepolia testnets were launched first, providing developers and validators with an initial testing environment. These two testnets represent different use cases: Holesky simulates a large-scale validator network to test the stability of the network under high load; Sepolia focuses on application-level compatibility testing to ensure decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts can migrate smoothly.

The Hoodi Testnet launched on Tuesday is the final hurdle. As the testnet closest to the Mainnet environment, Hoodi integrates all the bug fixes discovered in the previous two testnets and simulates real network conditions and transaction loads. The Ethereum Foundation requires Hoodi to be tested for at least 30 days, during which time will be used to monitor network stability, validator participation, and potential edge case handling.

The core developers are tentatively scheduled to conduct a Mainnet Hard Fork on December 3rd. This timing has been carefully calculated to provide ample testing time while avoiding the Western Christmas holiday. If significant issues are discovered during the Hoodi testing period, the Mainnet launch may be delayed, but based on the current testing progress, the target of December 3rd has a high feasibility.

The smooth progress of the Testnet shows that Ethereum developers are very well prepared for the Fusaka Hard Fork. Compared to some previous upgrades, the testing period for Fusaka is longer and covers a wider scope. This cautious attitude is a lesson learned from past upgrades. Although the Merge upgrade in 2022 was ultimately successful, it faced multiple delays due to Testnet issues during the process. This time, the three-phase testing of Fusaka indicates that the team hopes to avoid similar situations.

For participants in the Ethereum ecosystem, the Mainnet launch on December 3 means that upgrade preparations need to be completed beforehand. Validators need to update their node software, exchanges and wallet service providers need to ensure compatibility, and DeFi protocol developers need to test how smart contracts operate in the new environment. This coordinated upgrade across the entire ecosystem is a unique challenge for Ethereum as a decentralized network, but it also reflects its resilience.

PeerDAS technological innovation, Layer-2 ecosystem benefits

The most notable improvement of the Fusaka Hard Fork is the introduction of Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS) technology through EIP-7594. This innovation fundamentally changes the way Ethereum validators handle data, having a profound impact on the Layer-2 ecosystem.

In the current Ethereum architecture, validators need to download and verify the complete “blob” data. The blob is a data structure introduced in the Dencun upgrade, specifically designed to provide low-cost data storage for Layer-2 solutions. However, as the adoption of Layer-2 increases, the number and size of blobs continue to grow, which constantly raises the storage and bandwidth requirements for validators, potentially becoming a bottleneck for network scalability.

PeerDAS solves this problem through data sampling technology. Validators no longer need to download the complete blob, but only need to verify random segments of data. This approach is based on mathematical proof: if enough validators randomly sample different data segments, they can ensure the availability and correctness of the complete data with a very high probability. This mechanism significantly reduces the resource requirements of individual validators while maintaining the security of the network.

The impact of PeerDAS on the Layer-2 ecosystem is revolutionary:

Cost Reduction: Layer-2 solutions like Arbitrum, Optimism, and zkSync need to submit data to the Ethereum Mainnet to ensure security. PeerDAS reduces data storage costs, and these savings will directly translate into a decrease in user transaction fees.

Capacity Expansion: With the reduced burden on validators, Ethereum can support more blobs, meaning Layer-2 can handle higher transaction throughput without congesting the Mainnet.

Decentralized Enhancement: Lower hardware requirements allow more individuals and small organizations to run validation nodes, increasing the degree of decentralization in the network.

The implementation of PeerDAS also paves the way for future scalability upgrades. It is a key component of “The Surge” phase in Ethereum's long-term roadmap, aiming to increase the network throughput to 100,000 transactions per second. This gradual technological evolution embodies Ethereum's development philosophy: to advance innovation cautiously yet continuously, rather than through radical one-time overhauls.

More than a dozen EIP proposals comprehensively upgrade performance and security

The Fusaka Hard Fork includes at least a dozen Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), covering multiple dimensions such as scalability, efficiency, and security. In addition to EIP-7594's PeerDAS, other key proposals include:

Increase Block Gas Limit: Allows each block to contain more transactions, directly increasing the throughput of the Ethereum Mainnet. This improvement is particularly important for high-frequency trading scenarios, such as DeFi arbitrage and peak NFT minting.

Increase blob capacity: Building on the introduction of blobs in the Dencun upgrade, Fusaka further increases the number of blobs that can be included in each block. This improvement works in conjunction with PeerDAS, providing greater data availability space for Layer-2.

New Node Security Features: Introduced enhanced peer-to-peer network security mechanisms to prevent attacks against validator nodes, such as DDoS and Eclipse attacks. These improvements enhance the network's resilience against attacks, protecting validators from malicious actors.

The selection of these EIPs has undergone multiple rounds of discussions and community voting by core developers. The upgrade process of Ethereum is highly transparent, with each EIP requiring several stages including proposal, discussion, implementation, testing, and final approval. The EIPs included in Fusaka have all been rigorously evaluated, deemed to have controllable risks and significant benefits.

It is worth noting that the Fusaka Hard Fork mainly focuses on backend improvements, and the changes may not be very noticeable to ordinary users. This is different from some frontend upgrades (such as the Merge to PoS), as the improvements in Fusaka are more reflected in network performance, developer experience, and long-term scalability. However, these seemingly technical improvements will lay the foundation for the development of Ethereum in the coming years.

2 Million Dollar Audit Competition and Next Upgrade Outlook

To ensure the security of the Fusaka Hard Fork, the non-profit Ethereum Foundation launched a four-week audit competition last month, offering rewards of up to $2 million to security researchers who discover vulnerabilities before the hard fork enters the Mainnet. This “bug bounty” model has become standard practice in Ethereum upgrades, leveraging the collective intelligence of global security researchers, far exceeding the capabilities of any single auditing firm.

A prize pool of 2 million USD is categorized according to the severity of vulnerabilities: critical vulnerabilities (which could lead to loss of funds or network downtime) can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in rewards, while high-risk vulnerabilities can earn tens of thousands of dollars, and medium to low-risk vulnerabilities also have corresponding rewards. This incentive mechanism has attracted top blockchain security experts from around the world to participate, significantly improving the coverage and depth of code review.

The Fusaka Hard Fork is approximately six months away from the last major upgrade of Ethereum, Pectra. This biannual upgrade rhythm reflects the maturity and efficiency of Ethereum development. Compared to earlier upgrades that were often delayed for years, the current rapid iteration allows Ethereum to respond promptly to market demands and technological evolution.

What’s even more exciting is that during the bi-weekly core developer conference calls, Ethereum researchers have begun discussing the roadmap for the next major protocol upgrade, Glamsterdam. The goals for Glamsterdam are even more ambitious and include:

Accelerate Block Generation Speed: Shorten from the current 12 seconds to 8 seconds or even shorter, enhancing user experience.

Complete EVM Object Format (EOF): Optimizes the code structure of the Ethereum Virtual Machine, enhancing execution efficiency.

Further Scalability Enhancements: Continuing to advance The Surge roadmap

This development rhythm of “one upgrade not yet completed, the next one already in planning” showcases the vitality and long-term vision of the Ethereum ecosystem.