The long-awaited London update is now ready for implementation on the Ethereum testnets! The update will be activated first in Ropsten, en block 10499401which is expected to happen around June 24, 2021.
This update follows Sedan, which went live just a few months ago on the Ethereum mainnet. By starting work in London while rolling out Berlin, customer teams were able to roll out this network upgrade at record speed! The update includes the following EIPs:
Ethereum cat herders have taken out a blog post going over the details of these EIPs.
It is worth noting that EIP-1559, while compatible with the current transaction format, introduces changes to the block header, adds a new transaction type, comes with new JSON RPC endpoints, and changes the behavior of clients in various areas (mining, transaction). swimming pool, etc.). It is highly recommended that projects become familiar with the EIP. A more extensive list of resources related to EIP-1559 can be found here.
London time
As of now, only the testnets (Ropsten, Goerli, Rinkeby) have been scheduled for London. Once the update has been successfully activated on these networks, a lock will be set for the main Ethereum network and will be communicated on this blog and elsewhere.
The release schedule is as follows:
| Grid | block number | Expected date |
|---|---|---|
| rockrock | 10499401 | June 24, 2021 |
| Goerly | 5062605 | June 30, 2021 |
| rinkebby | 8897988 | July 7, 2021 |
| main network | TBD once the testnets are successfully forked. | TBD once the testnets are successfully forked. |
Note: Kovan’s network will be updated at a later date, probably after the Mainnet lockdown has passed.
Ethereum node operators must upgrade their nodes prior to the fork block on the networks they wish to participate in. Due to the variability of the blocking time, it is recommended to update several days before the expected date. See the section below for the appropriate client versions to upgrade to.
client versions
To be compatible with the London update, node operators will need to update the version of the client they are running. The versions, listed below for each client, are supported by London in Test ethereum networks. Each client will perform another launch once the main network fork block has been chosen.
Note: The OpenEthereum client will be deprecated after the London update. The team is working with Erigon on a smooth transition path for users. More information can be found here.
Frequently asked questions
As an Ethereum user or Ether holder, do I need to do anything?
The updates listed in this post only affect Ethereum testnets, and not the Ethereum mainnet. If you are just an Ethereum mainnet user, you don’t have to do anything now.
As a Ropsten miner or Goerli/Rinkeby validator, what should I do?
First, download the latest version of your Ethereum client, as indicated in the table above. You will then need to manually change your gas limit target to double what it currently is. This is because once London is active, the block size will double and EIP-1559 will keep the blocks 50% full.
For example, if before London you were a Ropsten miner targeting a block size of 8,000,000 gas, now you would need to target a cap of 16,000,000 gas to maintain the same number of transactions per block, on average . If you don’t change your gas cap target, it will start reducing the block size on the network. The following table details the specific parameter that you need to update based on your client.
As a non-validating or mining node operator, what should I do?
Download the latest version of your Ethereum client, as listed in the table above, and keep an eye out for the mainnet update announcement in the coming weeks.
What happens if I am a miner or node operator and I don’t participate in the upgrade?
If you are using an Ethereum client that is not updated to the latest version (mentioned above), your client will sync with the pre-fork blockchain once the update occurs. You will be stuck in an incompatible chain following the above rules and will not be able to send Ether or trade on the Ethereum network post-update.
What is a network upgrade in Ethereum-land?
A network upgrade is a change to the underlying Ethereum protocol, which creates new rules to improve the system. The decentralized nature of blockchain systems makes upgrading the network more difficult. Network upgrades on a blockchain require cooperation and communication with the community as well as the developers of the various Ethereum clients in order for the transition to go smoothly.
What happens during a network update?
Once the community agrees on what changes should be included in the update, the protocol changes are written to the various Ethereum clients such as geth, Erigon, Besu, and Nethermind. Protocol changes are triggered on a specific block number. Any nodes that have not updated to the new rule set will be left in the old chain where the old rules will still exist.
Why “London”?
After Istanbul, we are running out of names for our planned network upgrades. It was suggested to use Devcon city names for updates., and we did it! london is where devcon 1 took place. Followed to Berlin Devcon 0.
Thanks!
Many thanks to everyone who has been involved in the research, planning, implementation, testing, breaking, repair, retesting and deployment of London 😁🇬🇧
ask for Enrique be for the cover image of this post!
Disclaimer
It is an emerging and highly technical evolving space. If you choose to implement the recommendations in this post and continue to participate, you should make sure you understand how it affects you. You should understand that there are risks involved, including, but not limited to, risks such as unexpected errors. By choosing to implement these recommendations, you alone assume the risks of the consequences. This publication and recommendations are not a sale of any kind and do not create any warranty of any kind, including but not limited to anything related to the Ethereum network or the Ethereum clients referenced in this document.
