Ethereum is smart contract platform- it allows for the deployment of decentralized applications (Dapps). Dapps are programs that obey a certain set of conditions that cannot be altered once published – not even by the creator of the contract.
Programmable money can replace the use of third-party escrow or brokers by programming conditions directly into the transaction.
Arbitrum will airdrop over 1 billion $ARB tokens to its protocol users on March 23, 2023. The snapshot was taken in February, and at least three criteria must be met to qualify for the airdrop. Find out if you’re eligible and how to claim your Arbitrum token airdrop below.
Arbitrum is a layer-2 scaling solution designed to lower network congestion and transaction costs of Ethereum by offloading tons of computation and data storage from the main chain. It does this via the use of optimistic rollup — transactions on Ethereum are bundled up and transferred to a proprietary sidechain on Arbitrum (a secondary blockchain connected to the main chain). The transactions are then processed and sent back to the main chain after validation.
The optimistic rollup is the core element of Arbitrum. For those who do not know what an optimistic rollup is, we got you covered with a simple explanation.
Optimistic rollups assume all transactions as valid, hence an “optimistic” outlook. There is a time period during which users can dispute any suspicious transactions contained in a bundle. If a fraudulent transaction is detected, a fraud proof is executed which basically runs the correct transaction computation using the data on the main chain.
Since optimistic rollups do not perform any computation by default, it offers massive improvements in scalability. On the downside, potential fraud challenges of optimistic rollups could lead to delays in transactions, since progress comes to a halt until it the dispute is resolved.
Arbitrum’s Version of Optimistic Rollup
To provide context, optimistic rollups are compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and Solidity, which allow developers to port Ethereum-native smart contracts to rollups or even use existing tooling to create new decentralized applications (DApp). But for Arbitrum, it has its own virtual machine called Arbitrum Virtual Machine (AVM).
Arbitrum’s AVM greatly improves optimistic rollups because it stores very little data on-chain for optimal scalability. Moreover, to address potential delays due to fraud challenges, the AVM uses pipelining to process multiple disputes, while verification nodes help speed up the process.
This is called multi-round fraud proofs. Arbitrum uses a fine-combing approach to verify fraud proofs. It focuses on a particular point of disagreement over transaction history. Additionally, layer-2 transactions are not entirely executed on the main chain, rendering gas block limits irrelevant. As a result, this translates to higher network performance.
Who is the Team behind Arbitrum?
Arbitrum is developed by Offchain Labs, a New York-based startup committed to building innovative Ethereum scaling solutions. The company originated from the computer science research department of Princeton University, co-founded in 2018 by Harry Kalodner, Steven Goldfeder, and Ed Felten.
Arbitrum’s layer-2 network allows developers to build and deploy highly scalable smart contracts at low cost, while benefitting from Ethereum’s robust layer-one security. Since its launch last year, the Arbitrum ecosystem has greatly expanded, ranking 6th in all chains total value locked with 129 integrated protocols.
Some of the top decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols include Uniswap, Curve, Aave, Balancer, and SushiSwap. Additionally, Arbitrum is not without its native protocols built on the blockchain which include GMX, Radiant, Dopex, and Vesta Finance.
$ARB Token
$ARB will solely function as a governance tool for the Arbitrum protocol, unlike ETH which is used to pay fees on both Ethereum and Arbitrum. The governance process of Arbitrum DAO will be autonomous, allowing votes to directly modify the core code of Arbitrum.
The total supply will be 10 billion, with the Arbitrum community controlling 56%. The airdrop will distribute 12.75% (i.e. 1.275 billion $ARB) to eligible users on 23rd March 2023. The rest of the community tokens will be allocated to a treasury governed by the Arbitrum DAO, allowing ARB holders to vote on fund disbursement.
The remaining 44% will be given to Offchain Labs’ investors and employees, who developed Arbitrum. These tokens will be subject to lock-up periods and vesting schedules. Notably, the proportion of ARB reserved for insiders is higher compared to similar projects, such as Optimism, which allocated 36% of its OP tokens to investors and core contributors.
$ARB Airdrop Eligibility: How to claim Arbitrum $ARB token airdrop
According to Nansen, 625,143 wallet addresses are eligible for the Arbiturm $ARB token airdrop. You can check on arbitrum.foundation to see if you are eligible. If you are eligible, Arbitrum will directly airdrop to your wallet on 23rd March 2023. There are 6 airdrop criteria, and at least 3 must be met based on a snapshot taken on 6th February 2023 in order to qualify for the airdrop:
Bridge to Arbitrum
Bridged assets into Arbitrum One or Arbitrum Nova.
Transactions Over Time
Conduct transactions at least 2 months prior to the snapshot taken in February. The longer the timeframe, the more tokens you will receive.
Transaction Frequency and Interaction
Conduct more than 4 transactions or interact with more than 4 smart contracts. The higher the number, the more tokens you will receive.
Transaction Value
Conduct transactions with more than $10,000 in aggregate value. The higher the value, the more tokens you will receive.
Assets Bridged to Arbitrum One
Deposit more than $10,000 worth of assets to Arbitrum One. The more assets you deposit, the more tokens you will receive.
Activity on Arbitrum Nova
Conduct more than 3 transactions on Arbitrum Nova. The more transactions are carried out, the more tokens you will receive.
How to claim Arbitrum ($ARB) token faster?
Arbitrum has confirmed its airdrop can be claimed on 23rd March 2023 when the Ethereum chain reaches block 16890400. It is very likely that the Arbitrum network will be very congested during that time as users are anxiously waiting to get their tokens to potentially trade on exchanges. However, there are ways to be faster at the Arbitrum airdrop claim, and how to buy, sell or trade your $ARB before anyone else. Note however this carries risks. You may risk ending up being slower than others, lose your gas fees and even your $ARB, so proceed with caution. Here’s how you can potentially claim your $ARB tokens faster and buy, sell, or trade your $ARB before others:
Make your own RPC endpoint on Alchemy.
Pre-approve the token contract.
Have sufficient ETH ready.
Know where to trade $ARB.
Make your own RPC endpoint on Alchemy
Here’s how to make your own RPC endpoint on Alchemy:
Create an app for Arbitrum. Make sure you select “Arbitrum” under “Chain”.
Click “View Key” on the main page. There, you will get an RPC https URL.
Add a network on MetaMask. Go to “Settings”, “Networks”, “Add network” and “Add network manually”. Under “New RPC URL”, enter the RPC https URL from Alchemy. Then under “Chain ID” enter 42161, “ETH” as the Currency Symbol, and “https://arbiscan.io” under Block Explorer.
Pre-approve the token contract
To be even faster than everyone else in claiming $ARB, you can pre-approve the Arbitrum token contract on protocols such as 1inch and Uniswap. To do this, go to the $ARB smart contract and click “Write as Proxy”. Then, connect your wallet. Under spender, fill in the address for either Uniswap or 1inch. Finally, fill in the number of $ARB you want to trade with that smart contract. For example, filling in 20000000000000000000000 will mean you are approving 20,000 $ARB to be traded.
Have sufficient ETH ready
This is to pay for gas fees when trading $ARB. Note you will have to bridge your ETH to Arbitrum.
Know where to trade $ARB
These exchanges have confirmed they will offer trading for $ARB:
Will there be another Arbitrum $ARB token airdrop?
Arbitrum’s latest Tweet announces a return of the Arbitrum Odessey. The Arbitrum Odessey was a 7 week journey filled with tasks to complete in order to obtain badges. These badges are NFTs which may lead to future rewards.
The upcoming round of Arbitrum Odyssey will begin on 26th September at 12:00pm EDT.
Arbitrum Odyssey: How to guide
The Arbitrum Odyssey is a new round of activites involving the Arbitrum ecosystem and a chance to collect custom badges starting on 26th September at 12:00pm EDT. There is speculation that participating in this 7-week journey may result in a potential airdrop as a reward. Here’s our ultimate how to guide to completing the tasks on the Arbitrum Odyssey.
Week 1- Enter the Odyssey
Go to the Arbitrum Galxe Page and complete any of the following tasks in their list. Then, mint your Enter The Odyssey NFT.
Week 2- Signs of Life
Here’s our how to guide for completing the tasks on week 2 of the Abritrum Odyssey
Complete tasks on Tofu NFT Galxe page. This includes following their Twitter and selling/buying an NFT on their platform.
To sell/buy an NFT on Tofu NFT, go to https://tofunft.com/arbi and connect your wallet. Scroll down to “Discover” and apply the following search filters: Type- Fixed price, Sort- Price: Low to High. Buy the cheapest NFT or list some NFTs for sale.
Mint your Signs of Life NFT.
Complete Pulsar in the Distance task on Galxe. Connect your wallet to Abroad Exchange. Deposit funds by clicking on the top right-hand corner and “Deposit”. Then, make a perpetual trade on Abroad Exchange. Be careful when trading because you may be at risk of liquidation, and you will be using real funds! Mint your Pulsar in the Distance NFT.
Week 3- Pulsar in the Distance
Here’s our how to guide for completing the tasks on week 3 of the Abritrum Odyssey
Go to Abroad Exchange and deposit funds on the exchange. Then, make a perpetual trade. Note that you will be using actual funds for this. Finally, return to their Galxe page and mint your NFT.
Arbitrum Airdrop Review
When reviewing an airdrop, there are several factors to consider. First, the likelihood the project will even do an airdrop in the first place. Then, to look at how many tokens the project intends to allocate towards airdrop campaigns, as well as the difficulty in participating in their airdrop. It is also important to look at the utility of the token so that there will be an actual use and purpose in participating in the airdrop in the first place. Finally, a factor to consider when reviewing an airdrop is whether the airdropped tokens are subject to any lockup period.
Likelihood of Airdrop: Arbitrum will airdrop $ARB to eligible users on 23rd March 2023.
Airdropped Token Allocation: 1.275 billion $ARB (12.75% of the total token supply) will be distributed in this airdrop.
Airdrop Difficulty: The criteria listed are fairly easy to complete.
Token Utility: The token will solely function as a governance tool for the Arbitrum protocol.
Token Lockup: 44% of the tokens allocated to the team and investors are subject to a 4-year lockup.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Arbitrum?
Arbitrum is a layer-2 scaling solution. It aims to reduce Ethereum’s network congestion and transaction costs. Arbitrum does this by offloading computation and data storage from the main chain.
When is the Arbitrum token launch?
The Arbitrum token was launched on 23rd March 2023.
How do I claim Arbitrum ($ARB) tokens?
Arbitrum will airdrop $ARB tokens directly to your eligible wallet address via MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Coinbase Wallet, Brave or Ledger.
How to be eligible for the Arbitrum ($ARB) airdrop?
There are 6 airdrop criteria, and you must meet at least 3 to qualify for the airdrop: (1) bridged to Arbitrum One or Arbitrum Nova, (2) conduct transactions at least two months before the snapshot in February, (3) conduct at least 4 transactions or interact with at least 4 smart contracts, (4) conduct transactions with at least $10,000 in aggregate value, (5) deposit at least $10,000 on Arbitrum One, (6) conduct at least 3 transactions on Arbitrum Nova.
How do I check if I am eligible for the Arbitrum ($ARB) airdrop?
To check your eligibility, go to arbitrum.foundation and connect your wallet. Then click “Check eligibility”.
When can I claim the Arbitrum $ARB token airdrop?
the $ARB token airdrop can be claimed on 23rd March 2023 when the Ethereum chain reaches block 16890400
What is the fastest way to claim the Arbitrum $ARB token airdrop?
Here’s how you can potentially claim your $ARB tokens faster and buy, sell, or trade your $ARB before others: 1. Make your own RPC endpoint on Alchemy. 2. Pre-approve the contract. 3. Have sufficient ETH ready. 4. Know where to trade $ARB.
Note however this carries risks. You may risk ending up being slower than others, lose your gas fees and even your $ARB, so proceed with caution.
Where can I buy Arbitrum token?
You can buy, sell or trade the Arbitrum token on following cryptocurrency exchanges: ByBit (Sign up here!), Binance, Bitfinex, Kucoin, OKX, Bitmart, Bitfinex, Huobi, Bitget, Bitrue, Gate.io, MEXC.
What is the Arbitrum token price?
As of 24th March 2023, Arbitrum token price is US$1.40. Its all-time high price was US$8.67, and an all-time low of US$1.11.
What is the Arbitrum token contract?
The Arbitrum token contract is: 0x912ce59144191c1204e64559fe8253a0e49e6548
Ethereum 2.0 (Formerly known as ETH2) is a series of upgrades to the Ethereum Blockchain which will improve its speed, efficiency, and scalability. This will allow Ethereum to handle significantly more transactions, improve smart contract stability and reduce network fees. Upon reaching the final phase of the upgrade, Ethereum will meet its goals of becoming a transparent and open network for Decentralized Finance (DeFi). This article breaks down the roadmap for this upgrade and key milestones of when they are released. The next big update coming in the second half of 2023 is the “Shanghai upgrade” which will have a significant economic impact.
What is Ethereum 2.0?
Ethereum 2.0 will involve sharding to drastically increase network bandwidth and reduce gas costs, making it cheaper to send cryptocurrencies and interact with smart contracts. There will be fundamental economic changes too, Ethereum 2.0 will allow support to stake nodes and to earn Ethereum as passive income. The Ethereum 2.0 upgrade will be done in 3 distinct phases starting with Phase 0 (after all, developers count from 0 instead of 1). Over the past few years, opponents of Ethereum have often criticized the network’s high transaction costs and fragility during peak usage. This guide will cover the timeline for the upgrade to ETH2.0 and the solutions proposed.
Ethereum 2.0 Key features and what you need to know video
Key Features of Ethereum 2.0
Efficiency – Ethereum will become 99.95% more energy efficient. It is estimated that after the upgrade, the network will no longer require an entire country’s worth of power.
Sharding – Ethereum will be broken into 18 “Shards” that operate simultaneously. This will drastically improve efficiency.
Staking – Ethereum will move to Proof-of-Stake Consensus, so everyone can stake and help secure the network.
Security – Compromising the network will become much more expensive under Proof-of-Stake. 51% of attackers will also be easily identifiable with validator addresses and can be forked away from the network.
The 3 Phases of Ethereum 2.0
Ethereum 2.0 will be launched in 3 phases:
Phase 0- Beacon Chain – Completed in 2020
Phase 1- The Merge – Completed September 2022
Phase 2- Sharding
Phase 0: Beacon Chain
Launched on 1st December 2020, the Beacon Chain introduced Proof-of-Stake to the Ethereum ecosystem. The purpose of the Beacon Chain is to coordinate the Ethereum network and serve as the consensus layer. This Beacon chain is necessary to generate the randomness that actual proof of stake uses. It also acts as a crucial precursor to upcoming phases such as sharding.
The Ethereum Merge was completed on the 15th of September 2022. This merged the Beacon chain from phase 0 into the original proof-of-work mainnet (i.e. the “execution layer”, formerly known as “Eth1”). After the Merge is completed, ETH1 and ETH2 become the same network that uses the same ETH coin. Why the merge is so important and such a difficult task because it involved switching consensus mechanisms. An analogy for this would be switching the engine of a car from a gas to an electric-powered engine – whilst the car is still moving.
The Merge made the Ethereum network substantially more energy efficient as it no longer required cryptocurrency miners that consumed a huge amount of electrical power. It is calculated that there is an incredible 99.988% reduction in the energy necessary to run the network, meaning that current Ethereum Staking Nodes are incredibly energy efficient. It will also set the stage for future upgrades to the scalability of Ethereum such as sharding.
Phase 2: Sharding
By then, the Beacon Chain has already been launched and merged with the Ethereum Mainnet. The next stage will introduce sharding to the Ethereum Network.
Sharding on Ethereum means the database would be split horizontally to spread the load. Sharding will work together with layer 2 rollups. This divides the burden of handling large amounts of data needed by rollups over the entire Ethereum network.
Ethereum Sharding is realistically expected to be released in 2024.
Main features of sharding:
Everyone can run a node: Validators will no longer need to store all the data themselves. This drastically reduces the cost of storing data on layer 1 by reducing the hardware requirements.
More network participation and security: With sharding, you will be able to run Ethereum on a laptop or phone. This means more participation, greater decentralization, and more security.
What are layer 2 rollups?
Layer 2 rollups are an existing “layer 2” technology. This allows decentralized applications (dApps) to “roll up” transactions into one off-chain for submission. The effect of this is that it reduces the data needed to execute a transaction.
The combination of layer 2 rollups and sharding is what will achieve a transaction speed of 100,000 tps.
3 upgrades have been introduced since the launch of the Beacon Chain on 1st December 2020: the Berlin upgrade, London upgrade, Altair upgrade and Shanghai upgrade.
The Berlin upgrade was launched on 15th April 2021 and optimized gas costs for some EVM actions and increased support for several transaction types. The London upgrade was launched on 5th August 2021 and reformed the transaction fee market for the ETH 1.0 chain via EIP-1559 and removed or reduced gas fees for specific functions (Learn more about the London upgrade). The Altair upgrade was launched on 27th October 2021 and is the first scheduled upgrade for Ethereum’s Beacon Chain. It added support for “sync committees” which enabled light clients, brought validator inactivity, and slashed penalties up to their maximum values.
The Ethereum network’s Shanghai upgrade (also known as Shapella) was successfully completed at 22:27 UTC on 12th April 2023. To celebrate this milestone, ConsenSys launched an NFT collection called “Ethereum, Evolved: Shanghai”. The NFT claim period begins on April 12, 2023, at 9pm EST and lasts for 72 hours. Find out how to claim this FREE NFT with our guide here.
The next major Ethereum upgrade is titled Cancun, which will feature proto-dank sharding,a feature that aims to improve scalability by improving fees and transaction times. The details of the Cancun upgrade have not yet been finalized.
Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade
The Ethereum network’s Shanghai (also known as Shapella) upgrade took effect at 22:27 UTC on 12th April 2023 and was very successful. This upgrade combined changes to the execution layer (i.e. Shanghai), consensus layer (i.e. Capella), and engine API at epoch 194,048. The Shapella upgrade is important because it finally enabled withdrawals of ETH stakers/validators from the Beacon Chain, ahead of the implementation of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP)-4884 related to The Surge. This will improve the security of Ethereum’s post-Merge proof-of-stake protocol.
Additionally, a set of EIPs that upgrade the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) will be included in the Shanghai upgrade, such as EIP-3651: Warm Coinbase, EIP-3855: PUSH0 instruction, EIP-3860: Limit and meter initcode and EIP-4895: Beacon chain push withdrawals as operations. The EVM Object Format (EOF) may be removed from the Shanghai upgrade if it is not ready by the time of implementation. Once the Shanghai upgrade is complete, the network’s next major event is the Sharding upgrade, which is expected to take place between 2023 and 2024.
How much ETH has been withdrawn since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade?
Since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade 228.82K $ETH has been withdrawn with 100.51K $ETH deposited (as of 10:00am HKT on 14th April 2023). At the same time, the current amount of $ETH being staked is 17.38M ($34.97B). And the pending withdrawal amount (including rewards) is 981K ($2.07B). Around 60.99K ($126.89M), is expected to be withdrawn in the next 11 hours.
You can see how much ETH has been withdrawn, deposited or staked since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade here.
Ethereum ETH prices since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade?
The Ethereum Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade took effect at 22:27 UTC on 12th April 2023 (06:27 on 13th April 2023 HKT). Before the upgrade, ETH was only trading at around $1,920 and remained the same a few hours after. However, the full effect of the Shanghai upgrade on Ethereum prices was seen around half a day and particularly 24 hours after the Shanghai upgrade. As of 11:30am HKT on 14th April 2023 (nearly 1.5 days after the Shanghai upgrade), Ethereum is trading at $2,109.87.
How to set up an Ethereum Validator Node
Check out our LIVE demonstration on how to set up an Ethereum 2.0 Node
How to set up an Ethereum 2.0 node
I’ve also set up something called an Ethereum validator node for Ethereum 2.0. These nodes will be how Ethereum would run and how transactions are going to be validated in the future. So we’re going to explore all of these concepts as well in this guide.
Currently you can test out Ethereum staking on the ETH 2.0 Testnet set up by Prysmatic labs (aka Topaz). Since it’s a test, Ethereum will not be used, instead, it will use Göerli ETH, a free testnet version of ETH.
Time needed: 2 days
How to set up an Ethereum (ETH) Validator Node This guide has been adapted from the Prysm ‘Topaz’ Testnet Guide
Get some Göerli ETH
Göerli ETH is free to obtain and will be used to stake the 32 ETH required for the node. The easiest way to obtain the Göerli ETH is to use the social faucet.
Spin up a Server
You’ll need to be familiar with running a VPS server (you can use AWS, Hetzner or Linode). Recommended specs include an Intel Core i7 processor with 100 GB of SSD storage
Start your Beacon Node
Easiest way we found to do this is via Docker docker run -it -v $HOME/prysm/beacon:/data -p 4000:4000 -p 13000:13000 \ gcr.io/prysmaticlabs/prysm/beacon-chain:latest \ –datadir=/data
Wait (roughly 2 days) to get activated, and then you’re good to go!
Staking Ethereum on a validator node
Ethereum 2.0 migrated the network consensus to a proof of stake mechanism. The staked 32 ETH2 is used to validate the transactions and states on the network. It also acts as a guarantee that the validator node will be honest and operational. In return, stakers will be rewarded with Ethereum.
This means that validators will generate Ethereum as passive income and receive ETH payouts slowly over time. Current calculations of Ethereum 2.0 staking show an annual 14.2% Return on Investment (ROI).
This will be great for those who stake ETH. This is because they can enjoy the benefits of passive income whilst personally holding their funds on the validator node. Analysts predict greater demand for ETH once proof of stake is implemented. This is due to additional demand for ETH from staking and validator nodes. Whilst at the same time, reduced demand for GPUs as Ethereum mining will eventually be phased out.
You can see the status of our Ethereum validator node in the image above. We had some initial downtime for the node, so we actually lost 0.01333 Ether. This was a penalty for missing our votes. So it is important to remember that votes are mandatory once a node is activated. An offline node will mean that votes are missed, resulting in a penalty of loss of ETH.
On 4th Nov 2020 the required specifications of ETH2 v1 and the Mainnet Deposit Contract Address for staking were released. This allowed ETH2 users to stake their ETH and become validators to help secure the network.
It’s important to remember that it is not possible to simply send ETH to the contract. This will result in your transaction failing. You need to go through the launchpad and follow the guide. Moreover, as we stated previously, staking and running a validator requires effort, time and technical expertise. Failing to meet requirements can result in loss of part of, if not all, your ETH as penalties add up.
Ethereum Staking Update: Yields?
As of April 2023, I have earned around 4.373 ETH since setting it up 3 years ago. Note that results may vary. Those who set up their node earlier (as was in my case) were able to enjoy 16% APY. The current APR yield for staking ETH is around 5.16%. You can check the current APR, total ETH staked, and number of validators here.
Ethereum staking since the Shanghai Upgrade
The APR yield for staking ETH since the Shanghai Upgrade is still very good at around 5.16%. So I am planning to continue staking ETH so I don’t miss out on this opportunity to earn more yield.
My logic right now
* unstake ETH node
* move from paper to hardware wallet
* buy more ETH
* stake more #Ethereum is going to some crazy places, definitely don’t want to miss out
More than 17.3 million $ETH is currently staked. Since the Shanghai Upgrade on 12th April 2023, over 107K $ETH has been deposited in the contract address. There are currently 568,291 validators and a Participation Rate of over 99%. The Participation Rate is a measure of ETH2’s network health as it shows the number of validators actively participating in the consensus mechanism. A good rate would be always above 80-90% to ensure the security of the chain.
Unlike before, Ethereum 2 proceeds in epochs (32 blocks), every 6.4 minutes (if no abnormalities are detected). You can always check this metric here: beaconscan.com/epochs.
What’s next in the development of Ethereum 2.0?
Phase 0 – Beacon Chain is already completed, and development would move onto building Phase 1- The Merge and Phase 2-Shard Chains.
Ethereum 2.0 setup and architecture
Currently, we are in Phase 1 of the roadmap the road towards Ethereum 2.0. The Ethereum network is now around 55% complete following the Merge of the Beacon Chain with the Ethereum mainnet in September 2022.
After the Merge, Ethereum will have further upgrades which Vitalik calls the “surge”, “scourge”, “verge”,”purge” and “splurge”. This refers to Ethereum’s scaling, cleanup and evolution.
What is the “surge”, “scourge”, “verge” “purge” and “splurge” in the development of Ethereum 2.0?
After the Merge, Ethereum will undergo further upgrades known as the “surge”, “scourge”, “verge” “purge” and “splurge”.
The “surge” in the development of Ethereum 2.0 refers to adding Ethereum sharding. The purpose of this is to enable more affordable layer-2 blockchains, reduce the cost of rollups, and make it easier for users to operate nodes to secure the network. Once the surge is completed, the Ethereum network is expected to be able to process transactions faster. Ethereum could process up to 100,000 transactions a second once sharding is completed. This is much faster than traditional payment systems such as Visa which can handle around 1,667 transactions per second.
The “scourge” is a new phase announced by Vitalik on 5th November 2022. The purpose of this stage is to ensure reliable and credibly neutral transaction inclusion. Also, to avoid centralization and other protocol risks from MEV.
The “verge” will introduce “stateless clients” and “Verkle trees”- which are a form of mathematical proof. This enables users to become network validators without storing lots of data on their machines. This is a further step in the move toward a Proof-of-Stake consensus model as any validator with staked ETH can confirm and verify transactions. This will be hugely beneficial for decentralization.
The next stage, the “purge” will involve cleaning up old network history. This is to reduce the amount of space required on your hard drive and remove the requirement of nodes to store historical information.
The “splurge” would be several smaller upgrades and fine-tuning in order to ensure that the network operates smoothly. Or as Vitalik calls it, “all the other fun stuff”.
Currently, the Ethereum network can only process around 12 to 25 tps with an average confirmation time of 6 minutes. The result is that the Ethereum network is heavily congested with people all vying to process transactions, resulting in high gas fees.
Many “Ethereum killers” have therefore been launched. These are alternatives people can use for processing transactions. Some Ethereum alternatives include Solana, Avalanche, Polkadot, Algorand, and Cardano. They are a direct competitor to Ethereum as they offer similar features but at lower cost and higher speed.
Eventually, the number of transactions per second will drastically increase to over 100,000 tps. So the question would be, what would happen to the competition i.e. the “Ethereum killers”? Find out more in our article: Ethereum Merge is coming, is this the end of Ethereum killers?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Will Ethereum 2.0 replace Ethereum?
Ethereum 2.0 will not replace Ethereum. Rather, Ethereum and Ethereum 2.0 will be merged together into 2 layers of the same blockchain. Ethereum as we know it will be the execution layer, whilst Ethereum 2.0 will be the consensus layer.
Will there be any difference in using the ETH as I am used to?
No, ETH1 will continue as it is with no differences. ETH2 is setting up on a parallel line and the two will merge in the future. The merge will happen without ETH users being able to notice it
When will Ethereum mining end?
Ethereum mining will not end for quite a few years. Ethereum will retain mining on the main chain until at least 2020. The main ETH1 chain will continue to use mining and run parallel to the ETH2.0 chain. This is to ensure stability during the migration
Should I stake my ETH for ETH2?
It does not cost any money to set up a validator node to stake ETH for ETH2. Staking ETH will allow you to generate passive income. However, you will need to stake at least 32 ETH, and if your node suffers downtime your ETH will be partially deducted as penalties. Also, your staked ETH cannot be unstaked until after the Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade.
What are the minimum hardware requirements to become an ETH validator?
Following this list on Prysm website to install the client:
Minimum specifications
Operating System: 64-bit Linux, Mac OS X 10.14+, Windows 64-bit Processor: Intel Core i5–760 or AMD FX-8100 or better Memory: 8GB RAM Storage: 20GB available space SSD Internet: Broadband connection
Recommended specifications
Processor: Intel Core i7–4770 or AMD FX-8310 or better Memory: 16GB RAM Storage: 100GB available space SSD Internet: Broadband connection
Can I lose my ETH Deposit in the Node?
Yes. The 32 ETH staked for the validator node is designed as an insurance that the validator node is operational and online at all times. Penalties will be given if the node is offline, and small amounts of ETH will be deducted over time.
What is the expected APR yield for staking ETH?
The current APR yield for staking ETH is 3.7%. Here you can have an idea of the APR (in ETH) as it varies with the number of ETH staked (source).
Is staking ETH for ETH2 safe or risky?
Staking ETH for ETH2 is safe and does not have any significant risks. However, stakers will not be able to withdraw their staked ETH until after the Shanghai hard fork in March 2023. Also, if your validator node goes offline, you will be penalised by a deduction of your staked ETH.
Are there projects that will allow me to stake even if I have less than 32 ETH?
If you want to participate in ETH2 staking but you don’t own the minimum amount required to become a validator, or you don’t want to stake an exact multiple of 32 ETH, don’t worry. There will be possibilities through Centralized Exchanges (like Binance and Coinbase) and not only. A big advantage in this case, is to receive liquidity for your staked ETH. RoocketPool ($RPL), now in beta, will correspond rETH (1:1 with ETH), a tokenized asset that you will be able to trade freely. Lido Finance will do a similar thing through their stETH. LiquidStake will instead let you borrow USDC for your staked ETH collateral. Many other solutions will arise as ETH2 will start its journey; for example, Cream Finance ($CREAM) has recently released an article explaining that user will receive the ETH2P token when joining ETH2 staking through them
Can you withdraw ETH2 back to regular ETH?
In Phase 0, ETH2 cannot be withdrawn back to regular ETH. Once converted, ETH2 will only be usable on the Staking Chain until Phase 3.
What can I do with my ETH2?
At the moment you cannot do anything with your ETH2. They are just “digital receipts”. Transactions or other features we have now on ETH won’t be available on ETH2 for probably years. There are rumors of a possible secondary market where to trade them though.
When can I buy and sell ETH2?
You cannot buy or sell ETH2 yet. ETH2 will only be available for trading or transfer until Phase 3 when the upgrade of the Ethereum protocol is complete.
Should I buy ETH2 or ETH?
ETH2 is not available for sale yet, so users should be careful of any places that offer ETH2 for sale. ETH on the other hand can be bought and traded at almost every cryptocurrency exchange.
Is testnet ETH worth the same as ETH?
ETH on testnets do not have any monetary value. They essentially allow developers to test and troubleshoot DApps and protocols before going live on the Ethereum mainnet. As a result, there are no markets for testnet ETHs.
Will Ethereum gas fees be cheaper after The Merge?
The Merge will not make Ethereum gas fees cheaper. This is because The Merge is only a change in the consensus mechanism from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake. Only an expansion of the Ethereum network capacity and throughput would lower the gas fees. However, this is still in development.
Will I be able to withdraw my staked ETH after The Merge?
There is currently locked staked ETH (stETH) on the Beacon Chain. stETH is backed 1:1 by Ether (ETH). However, developers have confirmed that users will not be able to withdraw their locked stETH after The Merge. Withdrawal of stETH will instead be possible after the Shanghai Upgrade which is expected to be in second half of 2023.
Will Ethereum transactions be faster after The Merge?
Ethereum developers believe that transitioning to Proof-of-Stake will result in a 10% increase in block production. However, users are unlikely to be able to notice this slight improvement.
Will Ethereum ETH 2.0 be a new coin?
No. There will not be a new ETH coin after the launch of Ethereum 2.0. Therefore, existing ETH holders, users of dApps, and traders do not have to do anything in anticipation of Ethereum 2.0. Therefore, users should be wary of websites or services claiming that they will allow users to trade, invest, mine, swap, or stake the ETH2 token. This is because the ETH2 token doesn’t actually exist.
Will there be any tax implications resulting from The Merge?
If The Merge does not result in a hard fork, then there are no tax implications because no new tokens would be created.
However, if the Merge results in a hard fork, ETH holders would be sent duplicate tokens which may have tax implications. If the ETH is held in user-owned wallets, new proof-of-work ETH tokens would be considered as income, and its valuation calculated at the time the user comes into possession of the tokens. On the other hand, if the ETH is held in custodial wallets such as cryptocurrency exchanges, the implications would depend on the custodians’ stance on supporting the forked ETH chain.
Will dApps or exchanges be affected by Ethereum 2.0?
The launch of Ethereum 2.0 will not cause a huge impact on users’ interactions with blockchain dApps or cryptocurrency exchanges and services.
Will exchanges be shut down during the ETH Merge?
Ethereum developers have confirmed that during the Merge, there would not be any downtime.
When was the Ethereum Merge?
On 15th September 2022 at 06:42:42 UTC at block 15537393, the Ethereum Merge was completed.
Will ETH holders be airdropped new tokens after Ethereum 2.0?
There are currently no plans for an airdrop of new tokens for ETH holders after the launch of Ethereum 2.0. So far, Vitalik Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation have expressed that they are firmly against any forked ETH tokens.
Therefore, any websites or social media accounts purporting to airdrop Ethereum tokens are most likely a scam.
What is the ETHPOW or ETHW token?
ETHPOW or ETHW is the token that will emerge if there is a fork of the Ethereum blockchain. During the Merge, some community members may disagree (e.g. want to stay with the Proof of Work mechanism) and fork ETH. What they may do, is “copy and paste” the Ethereum blockchain. The result of this is there would be 2 blockchains and 2 tokens. There would be the existing Ethereum blockchain that goes through the Merge with the ETH token. And then there would be the forked chain with a new token called ETHPOW or ETHW.
How can I get the airdropped free ETHPOW/ETHW token?
If you held Ethereum prior to the Ethereum Merge, you will be airdropped (via the fork) free ETHPOW tokens
When can I stop staking my ETH?
Those who have staked their ETH cannot stop staking until the Shanghai hard fork, which is expected in the second half of 2023.
Where can I buy or trade the EthereumPoW ($ETHW) token?
The EthereumPoW ($ETHW) token is not widely traded on cryptocurrency exchanges. However, you can buy or trade the EthereumPoW ($ETHW) on these exchanges: OKX, ByBit, Kraken, Huobi, MEXC Global, Gate.io, Bitfinex, Bittrex, Poloniex and Hotbit.
What is the next upgrade to the Ethereum network
The next upgrade to the Ethereum network is known as the Shanghai upgrade. A major anticipated feature of this upgrade is that withdrawals of ETH stakers/validators from the Beacon Chain will be enabled. The Ethereum network Shanghai upgrade is expected to be in March 2023.
Will there be an Ethereum hard fork after the Merge?
A hard fork is a backward-compatible and permanent split or fork of the blockchain. After a hard fork, a separate version of the blockchain will emerge, as well as a new cryptocurrency token. There is speculation that the Merge may result in a hard fork. This is because some want to take advantage and profit from the Merge. Alternatively, a hard fork may be formed by those who disagree with the direction of Ethereum’s development. A group known as ETHW Core announced they will launch a hard fork within 24 hours of the Merge. This is because they oppose the change to a proof-of-stake mechanism, which essentially puts an end to ETH mining. Several hours after the Merge, the ETHW mainnet and fork of the Ethereum blockchain was launched.
Tax implications resulting from The Merge or Ethereum hard fork?
If The Merge does not result in a hard fork, then there are no tax implications because no new tokens would be created.
How has Ethereum 2.0 impacted its price
If all the phases are completed successfully, Ethereum prices are expected to increase. This is because each phase of the upgrade gives significant upgrades that will improve the performance of the blockchain. This will further grow its utility and value.
What will happen to Ethereum mining?
Ethereum mining is the process of adding blocks of transactions to the Ethereum blockchain. This is to help secure the Ethereum network through a Proof-of-Work (PoW) mechanism. Miners are then rewarded with ether (ETH) which can be traded on cryptocurrency exchanges. Therefore, many people would run Ethereum miners for profit. However, the launch of ETH2.0 will fundamentally change the current economics. The existing Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism will be replaced by Proof-of-Stake (PoS). The concept of mining will be retired once the Ethereum 2.0 update is fully completed. For more details check out our article: The end for Ethereum miners after ETH 2.0?
What is the status of the Ethereum Shanghai upgrade?
The Shanghai (Shapella) network upgrade took place at 22:27 UTC on 12th April 2023.
Will Ethereum 2.0 replace Ethereum?
No, but how transactions will be confirmed will change. Previously Ethereum uses Proof of Work (PoW) to confirm transactions. However, Ethereum 2.0 will transition to a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism.
What is the Shapella upgrade?
The Shapella upgrade is another name for the Ethereum Shanghai upgrade. It is called the Shapella upgrade because it combines changes from the Shanghai (execution layer) and Capella (consensus layer). This upgrade took place at 22:27 UTC on 12th April 2023.
How much ETH has been withdrawn since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade?
Since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade, 228.82K $ETH has been withdrawn (as of 10:00am HKT on 14th April 2023). The pending withdrawal amount (including rewards) is 981K ($2.07B). Around 60.99K ($126.89M), is expected to be withdrawn in the next 11 hours.
Where can I see how much ETH has been withdrawn or staked since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade?
You can see how much ETH has been withdrawn, deposited or staked since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade here.
Ethereum ETH prices since the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade?
Ethereum ETH prices eventually received a positive boost hours after the Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade. Before the upgrade, ETH was only trading at around $1,920. Nearly 1.5 days after the Shanghai upgrade, Ethereum is trading at $2,109.87.
What is the current APR for staking Ethereum?
The current APR yield for staking Ethereum is around 5.16%
Updates:
Update Nov 2022: Ethereum 2.0 has recently gone through some changes – it is now called the Ethereum Merge. Update Jan 2023: Added details about Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade Update Apr 2023: Added details about Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade and its effect on ETH prices.
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.
ConsenSys is celebrating the upcoming Ethereum Shanghai/Capella upgrade with the launch of a new NFT collection called “Ethereum, Evolved: Shanghai”. The NFT claim period begins on April 12, 2023, at 9pm EST and lasts for 72 hours. If you have a MetaMask wallet, you can mint the open edition for free (excluding gas fee). So act fast to claim your piece of Web3 history!
Learn more about the Ethereum Shanghai (Shapella) upgrade and the road toward Ethereum 2.0 here.
ConsenSys Free NFT Claim Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s how to claim the free ConsenSys NFT:
Visit the “Ethereum, Evolved: Shanghai” NFT Minting Page
ConsenSys is a leading blockchain technology company that focuses primarily on the Ethereum ecosystem. Joseph Lubin, an Ethereum co-founder, established it in 2014. The company aims to drive decentralized applications (dApps) and infrastructure adoption on Ethereum. It provides tools, products, and services like MetaMask and Infura to help developers, businesses, and individuals build next-gen applications and access decentralized web technologies.
ConsenSys is also a founding member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA). This global organization consists of various businesses, startups, research institutions, and Ethereum experts. Launched in 2017, the EEA’s primary goal is to develop open, blockchain-based standards and promote Ethereum adoption in enterprises. Through member collaboration, the EEA seeks to create best practices, architectural guidelines, and industry-specific use cases. This approach helps integrate Ethereum into the business world more effectively and securely.
About the Ethereum Shanghai/Capella Upgrade
The Shanghai/Capella upgrade is a technological milestone in the history of blockchain that will enable users to withdraw staked Ethereum assets. The upgrade is expected to have significant improvements for stakers, the Ethereum staking ecosystem, and DeFi, reducing liquidity risk and inspiring confidence in liquid staking protocols.
The upgrade will also enable Staking withdrawals, increasing the portability of stake and driving further innovation in the staking sector. Stakers will be able to evaluate different offerings based on factors such as rewards maximization, validator performance, simplicity of the user experience, and fees, and will play a critical role in preserving Ethereum’s values.
You can claim your free NFT at the ConsenSys minting page. The claim window will be open for 72 hours starting from 9pm EST on April 12, 2023. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Visit the “Ethereum, Evolved: Shanghai” NFT Minting Page
In order to mint the NFT, you will need to connect your MetaMask wallet. The network is on the Ethereum mainnet.
Mint and Claim NFT
Click the “Claim Your NFT” button, confirm your MetaMask address, and you will have minted yourself an NFT! The mint itself is free, but you will need some ETH to cover gas fees. You can also choose to mint again, but be careful of the gas fee.
Keep in mind that the Ethereum network may get busier at times, as more people are rushing to mint the NFT. Gas fees can get higher when the network is congested.
View NFT on MetaMask Portfolio
Once you claimed your NFT, you can see it in your MetaMask Portfolio under the NFTs tab. You can also trade it on OpenSea.
Visa payment is proposing to use Ethereum and Smart Contracts as an Auto-payments platform in order to increase efficiency and speed. The company published a technical paper detailing its plan to develop an automatic payment system for self-custodial wallets on the Ethereum network. This would enable Ethereum users to schedule auto-payments from their own self-custodial wallets, making online bill payments possible via blockchains. This comes at a very critical time as Ethereum is currently in a series of network upgrades, dubbed “Ethereum 2.0“, that will drastically increase its network efficiency and capacity.
Visa is also innovating using Ethereum’s account abstraction — combining Ethereum’s user accounts and smart contracts into one account type which allows smart contract functions including pre-scheduled executions for recurring payments. This not only progresses blockchain technology but also brings real-world applications for the general public.
Limited Payment Options on Blockchain Networks
Existing blockchain infrastructures do not have the core functionality for auto-payments. In order to send funds to another address, all crypto users must generate a cryptographic signature via their private key. This is an example of push payments, where a payment transaction is manually triggered by the payer. It requires time and attention from the payer.
On the other hand, there is pull payments, where a payment transaction is triggered by the payee. Automatic online bill payments are an example of this. Most of our recurring payments today are done directly on mobile banking applications or charged on our credit/debit cards. It is very convenient as users do not have to manually settle bills every month.
Large blockchain networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum support push payments but do not natively support pull payments. Additionally, users might be unwilling to hand over their private keys to a third-party custodian for monthly bill payments. Therefore, Visa has found a solution to enable pull payments on Ethereum, giving users full control over their scheduled payments.
Smart Contract Auto-Payments
Visa leverages the concept of Ethereum’s account abstraction to provide self-custodial wallets with automatic recurring payment capability. Instead of hard-coding validity conditions into the Ethereum protocol that applies to all transactions, validity conditions can be programmed in a customizable way into a smart contract on a per-account basis. This means that users would be able to create a whitelist of pre-approved auto-payments on a “delegable account.” This would not require the owner’s signature every time a payment is made.
Furthermore, Visa also believes account abstraction has other real-world applications beyond just recurring payment such as account recovery services, multi-owner accounts or even public accounts where anyone could make a transaction. But the technology is still nascent and a lot of research needs to be done around fundamental aspects important for digital payments such as security and scalability, which are crucial for crypto adoption.
Other payment competitors
As one of the world’s largest payment networks, Visa is actively getting involved in the crypto ecosystem, looking for ways to expand their capabilities within blockchain payments. This could be a huge step towards mass adoption as traditional financial leaders are seeing the potential of crypto in the long-term future of digital payments.
In fact, more and more global financial services are getting involved in the crypto ecosystem. Last week, PayPal is partnering with MetaMask to allow users to purchase ETH directly in their wallet via PayPal. On another note, Cash App, the number one finance app in the App Store, has also added support for transactions via the Bitcoin Lightning Network.
FAQ
What is Visa proposing?
Visa is proposing a technical paper detailing their plan to develop an automatic payment system for self-custodial wallets on the Ethereum network. This would enable Ethereum users to schedule auto-payments from their own self-custodial wallets, making online bill payments possible via blockchains.
How does Visa’s solution work?
Visa leverages the concept of Ethereum’s account abstraction to provide self-custodial wallets with automatic recurring payment capability. Instead of hard-coding validity conditions into the Ethereum protocol that applies to all transactions, validity conditions can be programmed in a customizable way into a smart contract on a per-account basis. This means that users would be able to create a whitelist of pre-approved auto-payments on a “delegable account.”
What are the benefits of Visa’s solution?
Visa’s solution would enable pull payments on Ethereum, giving users full control over their scheduled payments. It also has other real-world applications beyond just recurring payment such as account recovery services, multi-owner accounts or even public accounts where anyone could make a transaction.
What other companies are getting involved in the crypto ecosystem?
PayPal is partnering with MetaMask to allow users to purchase ETH directly in their wallet via PayPal. Cash App, the number one finance app in the App Store, has also added support for transactions via the Bitcoin Lightning Network.
What is the potential impact of Visa’s solution?
Visa’s solution could be a huge step towards mass adoption as traditional financial leaders are seeing the potential of crypto in the long-term future of digital payments. It could also open up more real-world applications for the general public.
If you hold stablecoins on Ethereum or other EVM platforms, you must be aware of this smart contract feature…
Token Issuers on Ethereum Can Freeze Your Funds Without Notice
In order to issue tokens on EVM platforms including Ethereum and Polygon, the first step is deploying a smart contract, which is then used for transferring tokens. However, the token issuer can define support for transaction censorship and token freezing in the contract. This is how Circle, the issuer of USDC, froze 75,000 USDC in user funds with ties to Tornado Cash, in compliance with U.S. sanctions.
Not many users are fully aware of this feature. This can be compared to how traditional banks have the authority to freeze your funds without notice. If the stablecoin ecosystem depends on a centralized entity for issuing tokens, it could prove to be risky for all crypto users.
USDT and USDC — Regulatory Compliant Stablecoins
Paxos and Circle, the issuer of USDT and USDC respectively, are required to comply with regulators in order to be allowed to tokenize US dollars on blockchain platforms. One of the major regulators is the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), who not just sanctioned Tornado Cash, but also oversees Ethereum block validations.
It is important to note that regulations for the crypto industry is not necessarily bad. They protect the interests of investors and prevent fraudulent activities. However, this is in conflict with the basic principles of decentralization, especially when user funds are on the line.
How are Transactions Censored on Ethereum?
Although a deployed smart contract can never be stopped or otherwise manipulated by a third party, token issuers, however, can write whatever they want in smart contracts, including censorship features. Here’s how:
In order to mint fungible tokens on Ethereum, developers must follow the ERC token standards including the ERC-20 (token), ERC-721 (NFT) or ERC-1155 (multi-token). These standards define a common list of rules that EVM tokens should adhere to. A customized and deployed smart contract is then used each time tokens move from address to address. However, a smart contract can define any behavior that the EVM will allow, which includes the ability to censor transactions based on a blacklist or freezing an account. As a result, any Ethereum user may lose the ability to spend or use the tokens in any way. This is what the smart contract for USDT looks like:
As shown in the image above, Paxos has the power to blacklist token owner accounts and burn their funds. Of course, one could argue that this is for our safety, freezing the account of someone who has been involved in criminal activity. After all, the blockchain industry should not be a way for criminals to circumvent the law. But herein lies the dilemma: how is decentralized finance (DeFi) different from traditional finance if we still have to trust the system?
Key Takeaway
It is true that certain censorship features in place help protect investors’ interest, but the blockchain industry is meant to be different from the traditional financial world. Take the Tornado Cash incident for example, one of the developers was arrested for simply writing code, and several users who used Tornado Cash without malicious intention ended up having their funds frozen.
If we blindly accept the rules of the existing system, we will not be able to create anything innovative. It is not true self-custody if a third party can control the tokens you have in your own wallet. Nevertheless, the blockchain industry is still in its infancy, and if we are being pragmatic, a common ground must be reached between crypto users and regulators. For DeFi to move forward, we can only construct a system that remains decentralized and that regulators have no objections to.
The concept of the “Flippening” has been increasingly gaining traction in the crypto space. It refers to the hypothetical moment when Ethereum (ETH) surpasses Bitcoin (BTC) as the most valuable cryptocurrency by market capitalization. The Flippening is important because it would signify a major shift in the overall direction of the crypto landscape, signalling a change in investor sentiment and adoption patterns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lQ8bz9QRBo
While the Flippening is not set in stone, there are compelling data that indicate it is coming, and sooner than you think… Here’s why:
The Case for Bitcoin
Being the world’s first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin has maintained its throne on the crypto market since its genesis block in 2009. It is often considered as the safest digital store of value by investors, with its limited supply structure similar to the scarcity of gold, hence its nickname “digital gold.” As such, Bitcoin is usually the primary choice of cryptocurrency for financial institutions looking to get involved. As far as mainstream adoption goes, Bitcoin has led the way so far.
However, Bitcoin’s Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus model is highly energy-intensive, sparking criticisms of the network’s impact on the environment. Additionally, the usage of Bitcoin is only limited to exchanging and storing value. This is where Ethereum has much more to offer.
The Case for Ethereum
As the second most valuable cryptocurrency, Ethereum is designed to be used as the foundation of a decentralized, blockchain-based internet — an idea that is become known as Web3. Apart from exchanging and storing value, Ethereum introduced smart contract functionalities that allows developers to do all kinds of innovative and creative things on the network. This brought about a proliferation of financial products that have enabled a much broader range of investors.
Ethereum earned its nickname “digital oil” because it is a utility-based asset like oil, fuel or gas, and its value is largely dictated by supply and demand mechanisms. Similar to how the world’s global supply chain is fueled by crude oil, Ethereum lays at the heart of the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) space as well as GameFi and Non-Fungible Token (NFT) market. And as the Web3 landscape progresses, demand will increase as more and more people are recognizing the potential of a decentralized internet. It is only a matter of time when Web2 evolves to Web3, and Ethereum is at the centre of that.
Do “Ethereum Killers” Hinder the Flippening?
It is worth noting that Ethereum faces competition from other prominent layer-1 blockchains such as Aptos, Cardano, Solana, BNB Chain, Polkadot, and Avalanche. There is a trending “Ethereum Killer” narrative in which user adoption will be distributed amongst these blockchains instead of focusing on Ethereum only. However, most of these blockchains in fact depend on Ethereum, as one way or another they are associated with the network’s smart contract. As shown in the image below by Cryptowatch, all of the top layer-1 blockchains are closely correlated with Ethereum’s price action.
Comparing Market Share between Bitcoin and Ethereum
As of 11th January 2023, Ethereum’s market share increased by 3% among global crypto assets, signalling its dominance on the rise. According to Coinmarketcap, Ethereum’s market dominance is at 19%, valued at around $856 billion. On another note, Coingecko’s metrics were slightly different, indicating Ethereum’s dominance at 18.3%. But both aggregation websites show that Bitcoin’s market dominance is decreasing, from 40% to 38%.
It is unclear whether this trend will continue, but according to data sourced from Blockchain Center, the Flippening has been on an uptrend since July 2021. And we are nearly halfway for it to happen. It is also worth noting that Ethereum came closest to the Flippening in 2017, when Bitcoin’s market dominance’s dropped by 40.6% and Ethereum took over 32% of the market amidst the situation.
In reference to the data provided by Blockchain Center, there are also other metrics apart from market cap that determines the Flippening. As of now, Bitcoin is still by far superior in trading volume, which is a crucial metric for adoption usage. However, Ethereum has Bitcoin beat in active addresses, transaction count and volume, and total USD transaction fees.
Outperformance of Ethereum will be primarily driven by the strength of its post-Merge fundamentals. The upcoming Shanghai Upgrade will significantly reduce the risk and opportunity cost of staking ETH, which is likely to attract participation from more crypto users.
Key Takeaway
Despite Ethereum’s increasing adoption and market dominance, Bitcoin still reigns supreme in the crypto space. In fact, Bitcoin saw significant adoption in 2021-2022 from retail and institutional investors, public companies, and even countries. As of now, El Savador and the Central African Republic (CAR) have adopted Bitcoin as a legal currency. This is a monumental step towards mainstream adoption.
But that is not to say the Flippening will never happen — it is certainly a possibility. After all, both Bitcoin and Ethereum have different visions. Bitcoin aims to become the global reserve currency, whereas Ethereum aims to become the infrastructure of a global digital economy. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) applies to both assets, but it all comes down to supply and demand mechanisms. If demand in digital money is higher, then Bitcoin dominates. But if demand in utility-based asset in building out a decentralized ecosystem is higher, then Ethereum is generally favored.
ERC-1155 is a digital token standard created by Enjin that can used to create both fungible (currencies) and non-fungible (digital cards, pets and in-game skins) assets on the Ethereum Network. By using the Ethereum network, ERC-1155 tokens are secure, tradable and immune to hacking. To find out more about the specifications of the ERC-1155 standard, check out EIP 1155.
ERC-1155 a new way of creating tokens that allow for more efficient trades and bundling of transactions – thus saving costs. This token standard allows for the creation of both utility tokens (such as $BNB or $BAT) and also Non-Fungible Tokens like CryptoKitties.
ERC-1155 includes optimizations that allow for more efficient and safer transactions. Transactions could be bundled together – thus reducing the cost of transferring tokens. ERC-1155 builds on previous work such as ERC-20 (utility tokens) and ERC-721 (rare one-time collectibles).
Summary
ERC-1155 tokens were developed by Enjin.
It is a way of creating both fungible (currencies) and non-fungible (digital cards, pets and in-game skins) assets.
They can be used to represent assets or items across Enjin’s ecosystem of blockchain games. So one asset can be used in multiple games.
Most Expensive ERC-1155 Assets in Existence. These are traded on Enjin’s marketplace
What are Fungible vs Non-Fungible vs Semi-Fungible Tokens?
Fungible tokens: ERC-1155 can be used for the creation of fungible tokens- utility coins that act as currency for various platforms. The advantage of ERC-1155 is that it allows the creation of many different tokens under the same contract (with ERC-20, a new contract needs to be deployed for every token). ERC-1155 is more suitable for multi-token economics, for example if a project has one token is designated as a security token (STO) and another Utility token.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): NFTs can take the from of digital collectible cats (such as crypto kitties) or video game weapons. What sets NFTs apart is that each token is unique.
Every Cryptokitty is unique – they cannot be exchange with each other (ie non-fungible)
For example, every cryptokitty is unique with different stripes and patterns. This means that cryptokitties are not “fungible”, and cannot be replaced with one another (imagine if someone swapped your pet cat with another – you’ll notice the difference immediately). When it comes to cryptocurrencies, this property of being unique and not swap-able is called “non-fungible“.
Non-Fungible Tokens Explained
With ERC-1155, NFTs hold unique metadata which can be modified with time. For example, this metadata can hold information about the lineage of a cryptokitty.
An Amazon Gift card could be a “semi-fungible” token
Semi-fungible tokens: This a new type of token that could “seat a concert” or a “$50 dollar Walmart coupon”. In the case of a Walmart coupon, each token is fungible (same as each other) until the token is redeemed or used in store. Once a coupon is redeemed, it no longer holds value and hence shouldn’t be traded as a normal token. In this example, the coupon is “fungible” until it is redeemed (“non-fungible”), hence the name semi-fungible token.
Superior Design
The superior design of ERC-1155 Crypto Items allows for a swap of any amount of tokens in only 2 simple steps (source: EnjinCoin Blog)
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.
Yield Farming is a popular method for cryptocurrency owners to gain passive income. It involves taking advantage of various incentives rewards for locking-up (aka staking) different cryptocurrencies. This article focuses on yield farming for the $YFI token which has become the highest performing yield farming pool.
Check out our video on how to potentially earn 600% returns through YFI Yield Farming!
The yEarn project has launched its own governance token – $YFI – this week, sending the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Yield Farming scene into a frenzy. As of this article, staking stable coins (USDT, USDC, DAI, or TUSD) into the Y pool will yield an astronomical 896% Annual Percentage Yield (APY). This is due to the incentive token $YFI being distributed to staked token holders, making this the single best yield farming pool right now. This has sparked a huge amount of interest in both searches for the $YFI governance token (trending right now on coingecko). Since the token launch, more than $60 Million of new capital has been deposited into the Y pool. Calculate yield using the community made yieldfarming tool.
WARNING: Yield farming involves a high amount of risk due to the experimental nature of the Ethereum network with potentially undiscovered critical vulnerabilities. Never stake/farm more than you can afford to lose. This is not Financial Advice.
What is the yEarn (iEarn) Pool
The iEarn “Y” pool is a yield aggregator – it automatically invests its capital into different DeFi projects – selecting those with the highest yield and return on investment. As a DeFi protocol, a smart contract keeps the invested funds – which makes the project non-custodial. The pool itself is comprised of 4 different stable coins – USDT, USDC, DAI and TUSD – with a total of over $103 Million USD in currency reserves (Assets Under Management – AUM). These reserves are then lent out to different protocols that offer the best rates of return, including Compound, Aave, and dYdX. yPools are considered riskier than other DeFi products such as Compound because lend capital out to a series of protocols – which themselves could be vulnerable to critical vulnerabilities.
How to Earn the YFI Token
There are two pools that reward the YFI token for staking. The first and easiest pool to access is the Y Pool on Curve.Fi. This pool is a collection of stable coins that are automatically invested in different lending protocols. This type of pool is usually considered a higher risk due to possible vulnerabilities not just with its own smart contract, but with other smart contracts too.
How to to earn YFI tokens
Unfortunately “Yield Farming” for the YFI token has ended. When YFI first launched, all 30,000 tokens were distributed to stakers on the https://ygov.finance/staking platform. Although initially there were plans to distribute more tokens, attempts to come out with a plan to do so have all been voted down in the Y governance. This means it’s unlikely that new $YFI tokens will be distributed in the future. Other tokens such as YFII and YFV still have token distribution for yield farmers.
What is YFI token
YFI is the governance token for yEarn (previously known as iEarn). Tokenholders are entitled to vote on upcoming governance decisions for the network – such as potentially stopping all-new distribution of the token. Creator of YFI, Andre Cronje (@AndreCronjeTech) has stated that the token has no intrinsic value.
“We have released YFI, a completely valueless 0 supply token. We re-iterate, it has 0 financial value”
Andre Cronje
This being said, the current wave hype wave and token dynamics have driven up the value of the token. The token follows the “Governance” model where it’s value comes from voting on where the protocol will go next. On top of this, the incentivized Balancer pool (YFI 2%, DAI 98%) requires the staking of $YFI, which locks up further supply. Simply put, DeFi farmers are locking up YFI and DAI in order to receive BPT tokens which could be staked on ygov.finance to gain an additional $YFI. This type of cyclic farming create pseudo ponzinomics and could lead to potentially disastrous results.
Balancer Warning & new coin minting risk
One of risks that was mitigated by the team was with token issuance. Currently there is a max cap of only 30,000 YFI tokens. Earlier this week it was discovered that there was a master key which permitted YFI developer Andre Cronje to mint new coins and potentially flood the market with new coins. If he did this, it would of been possible for him to take the entirety of Pool#2 and Pool#3 on Balancer, with a total of more than $150 Million USD. Luckily this did not happen, as he quickly created a multisignature address which requires 6/9 key holders to agree to minting new tokens. The purpose of this is to remove single party risk as 6 of the 9 keyholders are required to agree to create new coins. On top of this, even if they do agree, the community will have 3 days notice before anything happens.
Overall the long term objective of YFI is to leave control of the total supply of YFI and distribution up to the community to decide. The voting aspect of YFI will allow governance token stakers to decide who to do with the platform.
YFI distribution stop
Distribution of $YFI tokens will temporarily stop as new contracts are being prepared. Times for the pools stopping are as follows:
Decentralised Finance (DeFi) series: tutorials, guides and more
With content for both beginners and more advanced users, check out our YouTube DeFi series containing tutorials on the ESSENTIAL TOOLS you need for trading in the DeFi space e.g. MetaMask and Uniswap. As well as a deep dive into popular DeFi topics such as decentralized exchanges, borrowing-lending platforms and NFT marketplaces
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Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.
ERC (Ethereum Request for Comment) token standards are built upon and utilise the Ethereum blockchain. Most of us have only heard about the vastly used ERC-20, while becoming more familiar with the ERC-721 and ERC-1155 token standards thanks to the growing adoption of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) by upcoming projects. This article gives an overview of what are ERC tokens, their various types, and functions.
Summary
ERC tokens are special forms of smart contracts that utilise the Ethereum blockchain, rather than having their own blockchain like Bitcoin.
They can have different functions and even a combination of features.
ERC tokens can be Fungible, Non-fungible, and Semi-fungible.
What is a token and how do we classify them?
First of all, ‘tokens‘ are programmable digital units of value that are recorded on a distributed ledger protocol such as a blockchain. Basically, ERC20 tokens are special forms of smart contracts that utilize Ethereum’s blockchain. They can also be described as digital assets which are not the main currency of that blockchain. While $ETH and $BTC both have their blockchain and are thus far considered as coins, tokens don’t.
There are different types of tokens. Utility tokens differ from the rest because they usually offer a wider functionality than, for example, a means of payment (coins, like $BTC) or voting power on a platform (such as governance tokens, like $UNI). They can combine multiple purposes, are integrated into an existing protocol and used to access its services. They also provide network activity, which ensures strength of the platform’s economy.
To easily understand how they fit into the blockchain ecosystem, we need to understand how Ethereum works first: we can think of it as an operating system on top of which applications (smart contracts) can be built (written), just like developers build applications for Android and iOS. One difference being that applications on Ethereum can be decentralized (Dapps). Once we have these platforms, we can (if we want) create tokens, each time choosing the most appropriate standard for our purpose.
Years ago, when there was no standard in use, it was far more complicated for developers to make smart contracts interact with each other; they had to create specific implementation standards to develop a token and launch it on Ethereum’s network. Then, the ERC-20 came out and that heavily simplified the process.
Another distinction is between Fungible and Non Fungible tokens.
Fungible Tokens
In this case, each token is equivalent to all the others and they are interchangeable (1 $BTC will always be equal to any other 1 $BTC).
ERC-20
First proposed in 2015, it’s the industry standard and most accepted one. It makes the initial distribution of tokens extremely easy, so it became massively used in the 2017 ICOs craze. The ERC-20 contracts are composed of 6 mandatory functions and 3 optional ones.
ERC-20 contracts
6 mandatory functions:
balanceOf(): keeps track of the balance in each user wallet
totalSupply(): shows the current total supply in circulation
transfer (): lets the owner send a specific amount to another address
transferFrom(): allows a smart contract to automate the transfer process and send a given amount of the token on behalf of the owner
approve(): approves the withdrawal of tokens from the owner’s address to the receiving address. It also guarantees that nobody could create more tokens out of nothing, keeping the supply under control
allowance(): makes sure that the owner has at least as many tokens as the amount set in the approve function; the transactions added to the blockchain have been proved valid
3 optional functions:
name(): pretty self explanatory!
symbol(): 3-4 letter abbreviation
decimals(): it is impossible to write decimal places in Solidity- only whole numbers, so this function is needed. Most tokens use 18 decimals
How to send ERC-20 tokens?
There are two ways of sending ERC-20 tokens, depending on if you want to send them directly or delegate the function to a smart contract. You can either:
call the transfer() function to send tokens to another wallet address
call the approve() function and then transferfrom() from the receiver contract
Besides the ease of use and the popularity that this standard immediately gained among the community, its main flaw soon became obvious, causing millions of dollars worth of tokens to be lost forever in smart contracts.
Limitations of ERC-20 tokens and what are wrapped tokens?
What happens if you simply use the transfer() function to send tokens to a smart contract which is not made to receive them?
The transaction will succeed and these tokens will be credited to the receiver address, butthey won’t be recognized by the recipient and they will remain there forever, unusable.
Another limitation is that since $ETH itself was obviously created before the ERC-20 standard was even developed, it is not compliant with it (nor with other standards). That is why to interact with many contracts, we need to “wrap” $ETH into $WETH (wrapped ether, which IS an ERC-20 token, pegged to $ETH 1:1).
To solve the various flaws, new standards were proposed. The most famous ones are the following.
ERC-223
Summary:
prevents funds to be lost
half as expensive
backwards compatible
This standard was proposed by a Reddit user known as “Dexaran”; it focuses on security and tries to fix the main flaw of its predecessor, by using a unique, new transfer() function, which allows tokens to be sent to either a personal address or a smart contract. Moreover, it includes a tokenFallback() function that checks the receiving contract for the same function.
Basically, if the receiver is a regular address (not a contract), the transfer will be similar to the ERC-20 one, while if the receiver is a contract, the tokenFallback() function will be triggered. If the receiving contract does not have this function, the transaction will fail but all the funds will be returned to the sender address.
Simplifying the transfer and reducing it to just one single step, the process will also be cheaper (less gas fees!). The ERC-223 standard is backwards compatible with the ERC-20, as it keeps all of the original functionalities and solves the biggest issues. The ChainLink ($LINK) token has been described by its developers as “an ERC20 token, with the additional ERC223 ‘transfer and call’ functionality of transfer, allowing tokens to be received and processed by contracts within a single transaction”.
The ERC-223 standard has never been finalized.
ERC-777
Summary:
makes transactions smoother
allows for approved operators
standard for minting/burning tokens
backwards compatible with ERC-20
This standard was developed by Jacques Dafflon and Jordi Baylina, it is similar to ERC-20 and it relies upon the ERC-1820. Before that, developers couldn’t identify the functions which can be implemented by smart contracts. By creating a central registry of contracts on the network, the ERC-777 can use it to identify the interfaces a smart contract uses.
Its uniqueness is the friction reduction in transactions. It also defines a new set of functions, for example it uses send() instead of transfer(), authoriseOperator() instead of approve(), tokenReceived() handler function instead of tokenFallback().
It also allows for more customization, a list of approved operators so that people can approve smart contracts to move tokens on their behalf, and creates a standard for minting and burning tokens (very useful for particular projects).
A pure ERC-777 is not compatible with ERC-20 but the standard described how to make it compatible.
The ERC-777 standard became finalized on May 6th, 2019.
Other fungible tokens
There have been many other proposals combining some aspects of different standards into each other.
ERC-827 combines some of the advantages of ERC-223 and ERC-20 standards, it enables token transfer for a 3rd party to spend it
ERC-664 is mainly centered on modularity and makes it possible to update token contracts
ERC-677 provides a safe way for new contracts to transfer tokens to external contracts
ERC-621 can increase or decrease the token supply
ERC-884 allows companies to use blockchain to maintain share registries
Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
These tokens are unique: each one can have a different value ant they are not replaceable. NFTs enable the tokenization of individual assets. They can often be found in games or you can imagine them as digital pieces of art, real estate… basically anything you like. Unique tokens can be further modified adding new “tools”, hence increasing their value overtime (like new bodyparts on a racing car). Check out our video on NFTs:
Non-fungible tokens explained
ERC-721
It became famous with CryptoKitties. The contract is composed by 8 functions plus 2 optional ones. Most of them are the same or similar to the Fungible counterparts, with few important differences.
ERC-721 contracts
8 mandatory functions:
name()
symbol()
totalSupply()
balanceOf()
ownerOf(): retrieves the address that owns whichever NFT ID number is searched; ownership is defined by simply having the token
approve()
takeOwnership(): transfer the tokens from another address that currently holds them
transfer()
2 optional functions:
tokenOfOwnerByIndex(): allows NFT IDs to be searched through a list of tokens owned by the user; it is necessary if we want more ntfs
tokenMetadata( ): retrieves the metadata, i.e. info for identification
While when new ERC-20 tokens are created, the supply simply increases. In this case, things are more complicated. We have to monitor the metadata, and that is expensive in gas fees. ERC-721 defines a storing method.
A problem with this standard is that if we want to send more NFTs to someone, we will need as many transactions as the number of tokens sent.
Along with the ERC-721, a few other Non Fungible standards have been proposed, like the ERC-875 and the ERC-998.
Semi Fungible Tokens (SFTs)
In some cases, NFTs and FTs do not provide the required level of flexibility that is necessary to build new projects. As we have said, Fungible tokens are all “equals” while Non Fungible ones are unique.
But what if we need something that is neither Fungible nor Non Fungible? Like seat tickets?
Seat tickets (or supermarket vouchers, lottery tickets etc.) are 99% equal to on another with a very small difference, like a serial number that makes them unique, preventing double-spending/selling. When we buy a seat ticket, we don’t want someone else to have the same exact token and be able to use it if he arrives before us at the cinema.
In these circumstances Semi Fungible Tokens come in help: they hold their value until they are sold, changing from Fungible to not Fungible anymore.
In all the other standards we have considered, we need to deploy a different contract for each type of token (one contract for all the same ERC-20s, one contract for each unique NFT). It is like being at the supermarket and not being able to buy all of the groceries we want at the same time, having to proceed one item after the other, from shelf to register, continuously. If we want to be able to buy a bunch of stuff at the same time, we need a new standard, and that is the ERC-1155. It allows for different “items” to be stored and created in the same contract (FTs, SFTs and NFTs), with the least possible amount of data;it is cheaper and more convenient.
For example, in a game we may exchange a currency (ERC-20) and/or NFTs (ERC-721) with other gamers; the ERC-1155 makes it possible. Moreover, it can execute a deterministic smart contract function by simply sending a token to an address (i.e. sending a token to an exchange address, the exchange could immediately return another token back to the sender’s address).
Practically, a single smart contract can mint infinite tokens forever (and it allows to save fees!)
Overall, among the Fungible tokens, some people think that the ERC-777 should be the designated one to become widely adopted. It offers, for example, more ways to protect our funds. Nevertheless, none of the above standards is without flaws and inherent risks. As a matter of fact, there are multiple reasons why ERC-20 is still the most popular one, and we can’t forget to mention that a new standard would create a lot of issues and interoperability problems, at least at the beginning.
If we consider the Non Fungible world, we are yet to see an explosion in adoption, but more and more platforms and games are coming out and it will probably be one of the trends of the next years. There are different platforms where you can go and buy collectibles directly with your Ethereum wallet (such as Metamask). One of the most famous and used is Rarible.
Only time will tell us which will be the next standard in use; proposing a solution and having the community embrace it are two very different things.
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks and may result in the loss of your capital. You should carefully consider whether trading cryptocurrencies is right for you in light of your financial condition and ability to bear financial risks. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can fluctuate widely in a short period of time. As such, trading cryptocurrencies may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, storing cryptocurrencies on a centralized exchange carries inherent risks, including the potential for loss due to hacking, exchange collapse, or other security breaches. We strongly advise that you seek independent professional advice before engaging in any cryptocurrency trading activities and carefully consider the security measures in place when choosing or storing your cryptocurrencies on a cryptocurrency exchange.
The newly launched Ethereum Merge has rendered mining obsolete. So what will happen to all Ethereum mining pools and its miners as well as the millions of dollars worth of hardware in the ecosystem?
What is Ethereum Mining?
Before Ethereum’s Merge on 15th September 2022, the blockchain used proof-of-work, the same consensus protocol as Bitcoin, to validate and record transactions. But unlike Bitcoin which solely uses application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) miners, you could use graphics processing unit (GPU) of gaming computers to mine ETH. As a result, it was generally easier to mine ETH than Bitcoin since GPUs are more accessible and widely applicable than ASICs.
There were two main ways to mine ETH – pool mining or solo mining:
Pool Mining (working together)
Work with others to mine and share rewards
Get paid per share, on a hourly or daily basis
Less random / dependent on luck
Pools take some fees (0.5-8% depending on pool)
Solo Mining
You mine the entire block reward (differs based on mining difficulty changes) – no pool fees
Random chance and probability – you can go days or months without rewards
Not viable if hashrate is low – single GPU might take years to mine a block
Ethereum mining pools were the go-to options for most miners as solo mining took a very long time to earn rewards. However, this work drew criticism for its impact on the environment and its excessive electricity consumption. It is a highly energy-intensive process as miners around the world pool together large amounts of resources and power to mine ETH. But all of that has changed with the arrival of the Merge on 15th September 2022.
How does the Merge affect Ethereum Mining?
On 15th September 2022, Ethereum switched its consensus protocol to proof-of-stake as part of an update known as the “Merge” that links Beacon Chain and the Ethereum Mainnet. The Beacon Chain is what allows users to stake ETH, which has been operational since the end of 2020. Many people have staked their ETH to support the transition as well as earn rewards on their stake. Here’s the kicker, after the Merge begins, mining difficulty will soar due to the “difficulty bomb”. It is a kind of self-destruct mechanism meant to make proof-of-work calculations almost impossible, incentivizing the move to an environmentally-friendly proof-of-stake model.
What will happen to Ethereum Mining Pools and Miners?
There is a divide in the Ethereum mining community between the organizations that have helped coordinate the resources of individual miners (mining pools) and the individual miners themselves.
Good for Ethereum Mining Pools
For mining pools, the transition does not affect them at all. Since these organizations never did the actual work of generating computing power themselves, they are not affected by the sunk cost of the eventual obsolete mining rigs. Instead, these pooling companies have human capital and infrastructure necessary to organize the pooling of resources, source new clients, and overall manage and maintain the operation and its security.
For this reason, leading Ethereum mining pools like Ethermine or f2pool can simply transition to staking pools. They do not rely on the actual mining itself. It is not a matter of product, only business model. These companies operate on a fee structure, charging individuals for participating in their pools, and it will be unaffected by the move from mining to staking. They only require business development, customer service, and communication with core developers, softwares, and client teams.
Bad for Individual Ethereum Miners
However, for the miners who make up these pools and other independent Ethereum miners, the transition could mean the end for them. People who have benefited from mining ETH, either by managing large mining farms or by contributing moderate amounts of GPU power to mining pools, may be left stranded. They have invested large amounts of money in expensive GPUs or specialized mining rigs that are useless in staking. Some will not even be able to recoup their initial investment as they hoped to profit from mining.
Although validating via proof-of-stake only requires a home PC with stable internet connection, it would require a minimum contribution of 32 ETH, which is a sum far greater than most people’s savings. Essentially, in order to fully cover the hole of lost mining revenues via staking, individual miners would have to establish and operate their own staking pools, which would be a considerably more difficult task than maintaining their own mining rigs.
Potential Solutions for Ethereum Miners
There is really no good option for ETH miners. They can still salvage their GPUs by selling them in the market as gaming computers are still popular products, but it is safe to say that there is certainly no demand for ASICs in the market. They could use them to mine other cryptocurrencies that are compatible with their processors such as Ethereum Classic, Ravencoin or Ergo, but they are also much less in demand than Ethereum. The profit margins are substantially lower.
However, there are certain staking pools that encourage bringing current miners into the fold. According to Bitfly, EtherMine’s parent company, their goal is to “onboard current miners from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake.” They also noted that most deposits to EtherMine’s new staking platform have come from existing miners. But whatever the case is, there is still no easy answer as to how Ethereum miners will ever again come close to generating the revenue produced by mining ETH.
A hard fork is a major change to the blockchain’s protocol that results in the splitting of the blockchain, creating a seperate blockchain that inherits all of its history with the original, but is on its own towards a new direction.
Hours after Ethereum’s successful merge on 15th September 2022, a group known as ETHW Core launched a proof-of-work hard fork of Ethereum known as ETHPoW or ETHW. The hard fork’s purpose is to preserve PoW and keep ETH mining alive beyond the Merge.
The Problems with ETHW
Although ETHW could be a safe haven for ETH miners, there is not a lot of optimism about its success. In fact, there are a lot of underlying issues that the core team has yet to address.
ETHW Post-Launch Network Error
ETHW is getting off to a bad start. Shortly after the ETHW mainnet debut, users began experiencing issues accessing the network. It became clear that the problem was that ETHW had chosen a chain ID already in use by a Bitcoin Cash testnet. If ETHW fails to change its network’s chain ID from the Ethereum mainnet, users could be susceptible to a replay attack — an exploit in which the attacker intercepts and then replicates a valid data transmission going through a network. Given the transparent nature of blockchains, this means that hackers can duplicate your transactions, allowing them to withdraw your funds.
No Backing for Forked Stablecoins
The two leading stablecoins USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT) have officially confirmed to exclusively support Ethereum 2.0. This results in a smooth transition that is essential for the long-term growth of the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem and its platforms.
However, that leaves ETHW high and dry as lack of stablecoin support means insufficient liquidity. This is because 1:1 backing will only exist for the officially recognized blockchains, thus USDC and USDT balances cannot be duplicated onto a new blockchain. This is further amplified by the fact that ETHW announced they would temporarily freeze tokens in certain liquidity pools to “protect user funds.” This did not go well with many as this move is done without their consent and the community did not vote on such change.
No Oracle Support
Apart from facilitating transactions, decentralized applications (DApps) also interact with external data which requires off-chain computing. This is where blockchain oracle technology like Chainlink comes into play. They enhance smart contracts by connecting them with real-world data, events and transactions.
On August 8, Chainlink has also officially confirmed to stay with Ethereum 2.0. This means that any DApps on ETHW can be negatively affected since oracle solutions are essential in retrieving and sharing data without jeopardizing the security of the blockchain.
Lack of Support from Leading DApps and Projects
On 16th August 2022, Aave, a leading decentralized lending protocol on Ethereum, proposed a governance vote to commit to using Ethereum 2.0, giving power to shut down any Aave deployments on any alternative Ethrereum forks. On their blog post, Aave advised developers and DApp teams on the Ethereum network to halt smart contract operations on forked Ethereum blockchains until they become stable.
The lack of support from projects means that any tokens or NFTs on the forked Ethereum chain will less likely be accepted in marketplaces or DeFi applications. In turn this would affect investors who are looking to profit from trading these assets.
