Following the Amphora merge workshop, client teams have been diligently working on implementing the newest versions of merge specifications and testing them across development networks.
After four temporary development networks, Kintsugi 🍵, a longer-lasting public testnet, is officially live!
While client development and user experience are still being fine-tuned, we encourage the community to begin exploring Kintsugi to gain familiarity with Ethereum in the context of a post-merge environment. For application developers, as previously outlined, there shouldn’t be significant changes. Tools that interact solely with either the consensus or execution layer will largely remain unaffected, while infrastructure reliant on both layers will likely need adjustments to support The Merge.
We advise most projects to commence testing and prototyping on Kintsugi to identify any potential issues early on. This approach will facilitate smoother integration of changes into future client and specification versions.
Using Kintsugi
Visit the Kintsugi landing page for details on how to interact with the Kintsugi network. You’ll find information on network settings, a faucet, a block explorer, and a JSON-RPC endpoint, along with updated documentation reflecting compatible consensus <> execution layer client combinations.
As a reminder, in the post-merge environment, a complete Ethereum client comprises both a Beacon / Consensus node and an Execution engine (managed by an existing “Eth1” client). Each layer maintains separate API endpoints and peer connections to fulfill their designated functions. For a comprehensive overview of Ethereum’s architecture after the merge, refer to this post.
Support & Feedback
The EthStaker community is here to assist with Kintsugi support. If you have questions, encounter issues, or need clarifications, they are more than willing to help in the #testingthemerge🐼 channel of their Discord server.
With the introduction of Kintsugi, we anticipate community participation in #TestingTheMerge. Check out this collection of test scenarios for suggestions on enhancing your testing efforts.
If you discover bugs or issues with the specification, the ideal place to report them is in the #merge-general channel of the Ethereum R&D Discord server. Alternatively, if you prefer not to use Discord, you can also raise such issues in the specification repositories (consensus, execution, APIs), or on the Ethereum Magicians ✨.
Next Steps
The Kintsugi testnet offers the community a chance to experiment with post-merge Ethereum and begin identifying potential challenges. Once feedback is integrated into the client software and specifications, a final series of testnets will be rolled out. Concurrently, testing efforts will continue to escalate.
Thereafter, existing long-term testnets will undergo The Merge process. After these networks have been upgraded and stabilized, the next stage will be the Ethereum mainnet’s transition to proof of stake 🎊.
For those interested in tracking progress at a more detailed level, a mainnet readiness checklist is publicly accessible and regularly updated.
See you on Kintsugi 🍵!
