Ethereum Merge Date Is Set For June 8. Here's Why Experts Are Excited

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Decentralized, open-source blockchain computing platform, Ethereum, announced on Monday its launch of the Eth2 Beacon Chain set to soon merge with public testnet, Ropsten. Experts have been anticipating an event known as the merge for quite some time, and Monday's launch carries reignited hope that the merge will indeed happen.

A Ropsten testnet merge was announced to happen June 8, preparing for the final merge, set for sometime later this year. The merge will fuse the Eth2 Beacon Chain with the Ethereum mainnet, ultimately transiting the network from proof-of-work (PoW), to proof-of-stake (PoS). Ethereum developer, Tim Beiko, made the official announcement on Twitter saying, Ethereum's longest lived PoW testnet is moving to Proof of Stake! A new beacon chain has been launched today, and The Merge is expected around June 8th on the network, the developer said, calling it the first dress rehearsal.

The move from proof-of-work to proof-of-state

Currently, Ethereum operates through a proof-of-work, or PoW, network. A proof-of-work network, aiming to prevent attacks, asks miners to solve puzzles to complete a block of transactions, verifying the transactions are legitimate. PoW, originally built into the design of Bitcoin, has been replicated by other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum.