The Altair beacon chain improve is able to be activated on the Ethereum mainnet. The improve will go reside at epoch 74240 (Oct 27, 2021, 10:56:23am UTC).
Client Versions
In order to be suitable with the Altair improve, beacon node operators should replace the shopper model that they run. If you run a validator, you should improve to proceed to observe the mainnet beacon chain. Failure to take action will lead to downtime penalties.
The variations listed under are help the mainnet Altair improve.
EDIT: The following desk has been edited to reference the newest Altair shopper releases previous to the mainnet improve. These include safety patches and optimizations so we suggest all customers improve to the newest variations.
* Client releases referenced with an asterisk have been modified because the unique announcement.
Upgrade for Validators
Although this improve has been extensively examined if you’re a validator on Mainnet, we strongly suggest being on-line throughout the time of the improve within the occasion that any unforseen points emerge.
Bug Bounty Bonus
In order to get extra eyes on the Altair improve, all bounties for vulnerabilities associated to the Altair improve have been doubled between now and 4 weeks after the launch (Nov 27). Critical Altair bugs in each shoppers and specs at the moment are value as much as $100k.
See the bug bounty program for extra particulars.
FAQ
As an Ethereum person or Ether holder, is there something I have to do?
This improve is solely for the beacon chain consensus mechanism and does not have an effect on end-user accounts, contracts, and state secured by the proof-of-work chain.
If you run your personal beacon node, it’s essential improve your node. See the “As a non-validator beacon node operator, what do I need to do?”” part under.
As a non-validator beacon node operator, what do I have to do?
Download the newest model of your beacon node shopper, as listed within the desk above.
As a validator, what do I have to do?
Download the newest model of the software program you run, as listed within the desk above. Follow any directions within the launch and restart your node together with your customary restart process.
Note, node software program that helps unbiased validator shoppers would require an improve and restart to this element as properly. Please learn warnings and directions contained within the official releases.
What occurs if I’m a validator or node operator and I don’t take part within the improve?
If you’re utilizing a beacon node shopper that’s not up to date to the newest model (listed above), your shopper will sync to the pre-fork beacon chain as soon as the improve happens. You can be caught on an incompatible chain following the previous guidelines.
If you run a validator, the validator can be unable to take part within the upgraded consensus and can proceed to function on the post-upgrade beacon chain community. This will lead to penalties with respect to the upgraded Mainnet chain.
What occurs throughout a beacon chain community improve?
After the Ethereum group involves an settlement regarding which modifications must be included within the improve, modifications to the protocol are written into the assorted shoppers. The beacon chain protocol modifications are activated at a particular epoch quantity. Any nodes that haven’t been upgraded to the brand new ruleset can be deserted on the previous chain the place the earlier guidelines might live on.
Why “Altair”?
After group dialogue and emoji voting, shopper groups determined to make use of star names for every improve the place the sequence of improve names are in alphabetical order.
Altair begins with a “A”, is the twelfth brightest star within the evening sky, rotates fairly quickly with an equatorial velocity of 286 km/s, and is the placement of the Forbidden Planet. Pretty cool star for those who ask us.
Thank you!
Huge shoutout to all the researchers, engineers, and group members which have put an unimaginable quantity of labor into this primary beacon chain community improve.
Now, onward to the Merge đ
Disclaimer
This is an emergent and evolving extremely technical house. If you select to implement the suggestions on this publish and proceed to take part, it is best to ensure you perceive the way it impacts you. You ought to perceive that there are dangers concerned together with however not restricted to dangers like surprising bugs. By selecting to implement these suggestions, you alone assume the dangers of the implications. This publish and suggestions aren’t a sale of any variety, and don’t create any warranties of any variety together with however not restricted to something associated to the Ethereum community, or the Ethereum shoppers referred to herein.
