In a deep dive, Mario Havel, who works with the Ethereum Foundation, talks about the Merge, Shapella, and the future prospects of ETH.

At ETHBarcelona 2023 , Metaverse Post spoke with Mario Havel from Protocol Support of the Ethereum Foundation During the conversation, Havel elaborated on Ethereum's current status and future trajectory, highlighting various challenges and opportunities the network is facing.

Ethereum operates as an open-source blockchain network, enabling the creation and management of ETH, which stands as the second-largest cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalization. The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is a non-profit organization committed to fostering the progress and innovation associated with Ethereum and its related technologies. Rather than functioning as a corporate entity or a governing body of Ethereum, it acts as one of many contributors to the ever-expanding ecosystem. Some key initiatives run by the Ethereum Foundation include the Ecosystem Support Program, which provides essential financial and logistical support to various Ethereum projects; Devcon, an annual event that gathers Ethereum developers, researchers, and enthusiastic participants; and the Fellowship Program, designed to demystify core development and make it more accessible to newcomers.

Havel has been instrumental in Ethereum’s growth, particularly in the formation of the protocol support team alongside a group of equally enthusiastic individuals. His journey into the crypto realm began around 2015-2016.

Reflecting on his entry into the field, Havel said, 'I was captivated by the confluence of technology and economics. I discovered a local Hackerspace called Paralelni Polis, which opened my eyes to crypto anarchy and the underlying technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.'

By 2018, Havel was diving deeper into the theoretical aspects of cryptocurrency, assisting in the establishment of a local Hackerspace that he financed through MakerDAO—a notable early application of Ethereum he encountered. By early 2020, he took on the role of technical researcher and coordinator with the Ethereum Foundation.

'Two years back, we devised the protocol support team from what began as a casual idea, evolving into a solid group with Tim Beiko, Trent Van Epps, and others. Today, we are focused on bolstering Ethereum’s core and facilitating its ongoing development,' Havel shared.

Strengthening the Ethereum Ecosystem

Havel is engaged in various research initiatives with the EF, including significant involvement in testing and coordination of the Merge. Additionally, he developed a website that offered estimates on how long the Merge would take. the Merge Many individuals from diverse backgrounds, including initially skeptical Bitcoin advocates, have developed an enthusiasm for the Merge, Havel noted.

'From a developer’s standpoint, the Merge was a landmark achievement. For some, participating in the Merge represented an opportunity to tackle concerns about global warming by cutting energy usage. The Ethereum community is generally optimistic about the outcomes, as the Merge has led to enhancements like more stable blocks. Overall, Ethereum has made considerable strides toward its objectives,' Havel remarked.

Beyond his technical research, Havel has also contributed to community-focused initiatives, co-organizing the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship alongside his colleague Josh Davis. This fellowship assists up-and-coming core developers in learning about the protocol, working on various projects, connecting with mentors, and receiving stipends.

'We're in the process of launching our next cohort, which is incredibly exciting. Additionally, I’ve been working on a new testnet designed to reset to Genesis periodically to prevent long-term complications. This testnet is in operation, and we've established its specifications,' Havel elaborated.

This reset mechanism purges unnecessary data and optimizes the system. Havel and his team have been rigorously involved in this project, applying it for testing purposes. Just last week, they collaborated on assembling components for Shapella and the forthcoming fork. Their primary focus at this stage is to support testing, benchmarks, and overall project support. Ephemery Testnet In June, Ethereum put forward a new proposal aiming to elevate the staking limit from 32 ETH to more than 2,000 ETH. Havel pointed out that this proposal has captured the community's interest, as popular suggestions usually receive a certain level of priority. Nevertheless, this change does not necessitate a more substantial ETH staking amount, as the limit would still remain at 32 ETH. The primary advantage is that it allows individuals who stake larger amounts to operate a single software instance, thereby minimizing network strain and bandwidth demands. He added that this proposal is not currently slated for inclusion in the next upgrade.

This advancement aims to enhance the network's accessibility for users with lower bandwidth, facilitating their involvement in consensus committees. Havel sees this as a positive development in fortifying the network's resilience over time. Shappella Discussing plans to enhance Ethereum's efficiency and reduce costs, he explained that they involve various strategies, including several techniques for managing data. Danksharding breaks data into smaller segments for storage on the Beacon Chain instead of on the Ethereum main network. Rollups utilize a function to access this data, albeit at a high cost. The emerging solution, Proto-Danksharding, replaces this function with a dedicated transaction that carries data as a blob, temporarily held on the Beacon Chain and verified by rollups. This strategy helps Ethereum avoid unnecessary data storage, thus conserving resources while also enhancing scalability and reducing costs for layer two, ultimately making Ethereum more user-friendly. Dencun 'There’s so much to look forward to in Ethereum. It's like an endless game where the goal is more about the journey itself than merely winning, or an eternal garden that you keep grooming to unveil new facets. While there isn't a concrete endpoint in sight, there is a collective hope for some degree of stability in the foreseeable future,' Havel expressed.

However, numerous milestones must be achieved first, Havel emphasized. The spotlight is presently on the upcoming upgrade, although the route ahead is fluid. There are various thrilling advancements on the horizon, such as transitioning from Merkle Patricia trees to Verkle (vector commitment Merkle trees), history expiry aimed at simplifying client usage, privacy enhancements, efforts against censorship, the separation of proposer and builder roles, along with making Ethereum more compatible with zero-knowledge proofs, and exploration of further innovations.

The Ongoing Evolution of the Ethereum Ecosystem

The Ethereum community is incredibly energized and dedicated to forging a brighter future within the blockchain framework. Contributors—including developers, researchers, users, and enthusiasts—are zealously working to enhance the network and its wider ecosystem. Havel illustrated how collaboration thrives within the community. dank sharding and rollups Regular community gatherings serve as a platform for discussions among Ethereum enthusiasts. These open meet-ups allow representatives from various Ethereum factions to engage in dialogue about pressing issues and collective decision-making. These discussions are accessible to the public, recorded on platforms such as YouTube, and invite anyone interested to share their perspectives. Beacon Chain The ongoing evolution of the Ethereum network is bolstered by its continuous development process. Thanks to the contributions of numerous developers, the Ethereum ecosystem undergoes regular updates and improvements. This global collaboration attracts a diverse range of skills and viewpoints, making it crucial for the network's ongoing evolution. Even though consensus can sometimes be a challenge due to differing opinions.

Individual developers focus on their respective areas, leading to a need for extensive discussions for coordination. Most collaborative work occurs transparently through the Ethereum/PM GitHub repository, which serves as a centralized hub for tracking current calls and meetings. Tim Beiko, one of the developers previously mentioned, oversees core developer calls, ensuring discussions remain relevant.

Havel also referenced a merge manual created by his colleague Trent, which collated testimonials and counted contributions towards the merge effort. He estimated that over 200 contributors from about 20 different teams, working either full-time or part-time from around the globe, played a role in this initiative. EIP-4844 'Witnessing such widespread collaboration and coordination—people from all corners of the world united towards a shared goal of developing a monumental open-source project—is genuinely inspiring and rewarding,' he remarked. transition The Ethereum Community Inspires Developers to Foster the Decentralized Future uk .

A significant component of this ecosystem is the Protocol Guild, which consists of a carefully curated group of dedicated individuals who have actively contributed to Ethereum’s development for a substantial duration, typically six months or more. Originally starting with 90 members, the guild has since expanded to around 142, indicating growing engagement in the blockchain’s progression.

To become part of the Protocol Guild, individuals must earn recognition from the guild itself. Aspiring developers can participate in public dialogues, such as those on Discord, showcasing their contributions. While the governance process continues to be off-chain for now, there are intentions to implement version two, which aims to render it more transparent and on-chain.

uz uz Mario Havel, a developer associated with the Ethereum Foundation, recently shared insights about the Merge, Shapella, and the future trajectory of Ethereum in a post focused on the Metaverse.

In a discussion centered around the Merge, Shapella, and the broader future of Ethereum, Mario Havel, a developer from the Ethereum Foundation, offered his perspective.

The Federal Trade Commission has withdrawn its attempt to prevent the merger between Microsoft and Activision, marking a significant move in the tech industry.

Date of publication: July 28, 2023, at 9:51 AM, with an update shortly thereafter at 9:53 AM.

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In a recent conversation, Mario Havel, representing the Ethereum Foundation, explored not only the current dynamics of Ethereum but also the various hurdles and possibilities on the horizon for the network.

As a key member of the protocol support team, Havel is vital in advancing Ethereum’s development efforts. He emphasized the strides made within the Ethereum ecosystem, especially the effective testing and execution of the Merge.

The Ethereum community, with particular emphasis on the Protocol Guild, strongly advocates for active participation among developers in the blockchain's ongoing evolution.

The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship offers a venue for developers to engage with open repositories, encouraging contributions without restrictions.

During the discussion, Havel elaborated on Ethereum’s present state as well as its future prospects, shedding light on both the challenges and potential growth opportunities the network encounters. vi Ethereum operates as an open-source blockchain network that drives ETH, the second most significant cryptocurrency by market capitalization. The Ethereum Foundation (EF), a non-profit entity, is dedicated to promoting the development and innovation of Ethereum and its associated technologies. While it’s not the overseer of Ethereum, it stands as one of its many contributors, leading various initiatives like the Ecosystem Support Program, which assists Ethereum projects financially and otherwise; Devcon, an annual gathering for Ethereum developers, scholars, and fans; and the Fellowship Program that aims to simplify and make core development more approachable.

Havel has been a crucial contributor to Ethereum's growth, particularly in forming the protocol support team alongside other dedicated members. His journey into the crypto space began around 2015 to 2016.

'My intrigue in the blend of technology and economics led me to a local Hackerspace called Paralelni Polis, which opened my eyes to crypto anarchy and the technologies behind it, like Bitcoin and Ethereum,' he recalled.

vi

• By 2018, Havel dove deeper into the theoretical aspects of cryptocurrency, co-founding a local Hackerspace and supporting it financially through MakerDAO—one of his first hands-on experiences with Ethereum. In early 2020, he secured a position at the Ethereum Foundation as a technical researcher and coordinator.
• 'We launched the protocol support team about two years ago. What began as a casual idea quickly evolved into a fantastic team, including Tim Beiko, Trent Van Epps, and others. Our focus is now on bolstering Ethereum's core and aiding its development efforts,' Havel noted.
• Strengthening Ethereum's Ecosystem
• Havel's involvement at EF spans various research initiatives, one of which includes working on the Merge, which he helped to test and coordinate. He's also crafted a website that estimates the Merge's timing.