Teku Client Release Bellatrix And Mainnet Update v22.8.1

The update v22.8.1 has been released for all Ethereum (ETH) Mainnet users in anticipation of the Merge. Included in the update which was released by ETH 2.0 client for institutional staking Teku, is the Bellatrix upgrade and Merge transition configuration. 

Since the Merge has to do with a transition from the Proof-of-Work (PoW) to the proof-of-stake (PoS), all Mainnet node upgrades need to be carried out on the Teku version.

Teku is an Ethereum 2.0 client designed and developed to accommodate and proffer institutional and security solutions.

Notably, its design is in such a way that it provides staking options to its users. The programming language of this ETH tool is Java and its maintenance is executed by the same team behind the open-source Apache 2.0 ether client, Hyperledger Besu.

Bellatrix, which is the consensus layer, is the first upgrade phase to start the Merge launch. A 14-day period will need to elapse between the activation of the Bellatrix upgrade and the launch of the Merge. This period will allow for the network to attain the required total terminal difficulty (TTD) to initiate the Merge. 

Presently, the tentative TTD is 58,750,000,000,000,000,000,000 and subject to adjustment depending on the outcome when it is eventually infused into a client’s release.

As announced by Teku, the Bellatrix upgrade activation is scheduled to happen on the 6th of September. Therefore, all ETH Mainnet users are expected to have initiated all upgrades before the activation of Bellatrix.

Once Bellatrix has been activated, a few configuration values will be permitted and updated to move penalty parameters to their final maximum security values. Transaction execution ExecutionPayload will also be added to the beacon chain. Most of the validator responsibilities will not be changed.

Speculations Surrounding The Merge

The Merge is anticipated to finally launch on 15th September. Several misconceptions concerning the Merge have been ongoing. Amongst such misconceptions is the fact that the Merge will lead to the reduction of gas fees.

The Ethereum Foundation responded that this is untrue. Also, the public believes that transactions will be carried out at a faster speed after The Merge, another falsehood the Ethereum Foundation has clarified.

The Merge is a highly anticipated event, and among many pushes, it is bound to make the Ethereum network a generally more usable protocol.