An important update to the Ethereum network is about to happen, which will enhance and improve the platform considerably. The Prague upgrade, also known as the Pectra upgrade, is an impending update that has generated a lot of interest in the Ethereum community.
The Dencun update will initially be released across a number of testnets, including Goerli on January 17, Sepolia on January 30, and Holesky on February 7, 2024. Testnets are crucial testing grounds for new features. Before going live on the main network, these testnets will enable engineers to ensure everything works flawlessly by fine-tuning the update in a controlled environment.
The Verkle tree data structure, which would optimise Ethereum’s storage and information access, is now the subject of controversy within the core development team about implementation priorities. Some developers recommend focusing only on Verkle trees, while others advise pursuing a smaller feature fork in tandem with the Verkle work.
The primary justification for focusing just on Verkle trees is their intricacy and the amount of effort required to apply them successfully. This might imply that no new execution layer (EL) features could be released for a period of 12 to 24 months, or even longer, if Verkle trees are given priority over other enhancements.
However, it is understood that small improvements to the Ethereum Layer (EL) may still be required even if the focus moves to Verkle trees. For instance, Ethereum’s scaling solutions depend on adjustments to the gas limit for data availability, which necessitate cooperation between the consensus layer and the execution layer (CL).
The Prague update will incorporate a number of suggestions, such as precompiles for particular cryptographic operations, a new EVM object format (EOF), and adjustments to smart contract capabilities, that are intended to improve the Ethereum platform on several levels.
The Prague update looks like a big deal that will influence how the Ethereum ecosystem develops in the future. It’s a positive move towards making sure Ethereum is a safe, effective, and expandable platform for decentralised apps.
