Dencun successfully passed tests on Sepolia, further clearing the way toward cheaper, faster layer-2 transactions.

Ethereum is the leading blockchain network for DeFi and decentralized applications. Image: Shutterstock

A highly anticipated upgrade to the Ethereum network, called Dencun, crossed a major hurdle, becoming active on the Sepolia testnet on Tuesday. The development follows activation on the Goerli testnet earlier this month.
Dencun introduces "proto-danksharding" to the number one proof-of-stake blockchain. Proto-danksharding is designed to reduce transaction costs for layer-2 blockchains, making data availability cheaper while also addressing scalability issues. This latest upgrade lays the groundwork for full “danksharding,” which takes cost reductions and performance gains even further.
Dencun, after full implementation, will allow the Ethereum network to more cheaply handle more than 100,000 transactions per second.
The last of three testnet deployments, called Holesky, is scheduled to implement Dencun on February 7. After this test is completed, a date for Dencun’s activation on the main Ethereum blockchain will be set.
“Danksharding is how Ethereum becomes a truly scalable blockchain, but there are several protocol upgrades required to get there,” an Ethereum developer wrote on the official Ethereum website. “Proto-Danksharding is an intermediate step along the way.
The Dencun upgrade also introduces ‘blobs,’ which are intended to reduce rollup cost on the Ethereum mainnet by first compressing transaction data off-chain, decreasing the storage and processing load.
Data temporarily stored in blobs is only needed for a short time to verify transactions and can be safely deleted to avoid overloading the network. Cryptographic commitments ensure that any alterations in the data are still detectable, allowing for secure and efficient data handling.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.

Ethereum’s Long-Awaited Upgrade Gets Closer As Devs Set Final Timeline

• Dencun is coming. And Ethereum is going to be a lot cheaper as a result, according to its devs. A blog post yesterday by the Ethereum Foundation confirmed that the next two steps of the long-awaited upgrade—known as the Sepolia and Holesky testnets—are due to be completed by early next month. This means that the upgrade should be live on the mainnet by March. “Assuming the Sepolia and Holesky upgrades go well, Dencun will be scheduled on the Ethereum mainnet next,” the post read, adding that.
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Ethereum’s Long-Awaited Upgrade Gets Closer As Devs Set Final Timeline

The next two updates should be completed in February, setting the stage for the final upgrade to go live.

Image: Shutterstock
Dencun is coming. And Ethereum is going to be a lot cheaper as a result, according to its devs. 
A blog post yesterday by the Ethereum Foundation confirmed that the next two steps of the long-awaited upgrade—known as the Sepolia and Holesky testnets—are due to be completed by early next month. 
This means that the upgrade should be live on the mainnet by March. 
“Assuming the Sepolia and Holesky upgrades go well, Dencun will be scheduled on the Ethereum mainnet next,” the post read, adding that Sepolia is due to take place on January 30, while Holesky will be completed on a testnet by February 7. 
These incremental steps are among the final ones needed to make Ethereum faster and cheaper, developers promise. 
Ethereum, the blockchain behind the second-biggest cryptocurrency by market cap, ETH, has a notoriously clogged network.
This makes it difficult—and expensive—for people who want to use it to build apps or send funds. 
But those working behind the tech say that the latest upgrade will solve the scalability problem of the network.
Dubbed proto-danksharding (or EIP-4844), one feature of the upgrade means the network will be able to cheaply handle over 100,000 transactions per second. 
It will do this by making Ethereum layer-2 solutions, such as Optimism, a lot cheaper, developers say. 
Layer-2 solutions on Ethereum are where most of Ethereum’s activity takes place, a report by market intelligence firm Messari claimed in October. They run parallel to the main network so transactions can essentially be quickly skirted around Ethereum’s blockchain. 
Ethereum is constantly improving. Most notably, in 2022, the network moved from proof of work to proof of stake in a much-publicized upgrade called “the merge.”