frens, a few days ago, Ethereum got yet another step closer to its final form with a successful "shadow fork".

![image.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmYAPxsV2TErLmmDznQu5osvwnMUZNGXGmJxsM9YdEzAdX/image.png)
<img src="https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/l337m45732/EoeEW138tverNwuADDdsbMtp3fzHkseXn7wqiNTbt7BinpT4HWK3tmJ1ktVpNojPAFy.png" alt="image.png">

## Ethereum's Shadow Fork

I'm not a developer, and you're probably not a developer either. So I won't get into all the super technical shit since it probably won't make sense to either one of us. I have just enough blockchain dev experience to understand some of this stuff but the rest flies over my head. I wrote a post in December where I was playing around with the [Kintsugi testnet](https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@l337m45732/testing-ethereum-2-0-kintsugi-merge-testnet), which was the first Ethereum merge testnet. 

If you're not familiar with what's happening with Ethereum, it is currently in the process of transitioning from Proof of Work consensus to Proof of Stake. This means that instead of mining with hardware, users will be able to stake their ETH to validate transactions. There's a lot of advantages to Proof of Stake consensus, but the major one is scalability. We've seen fees on the network skyrocket multiple times due to network congestion, and the Proof of Stake merge will solve this.

![image.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmX4T7nqjMJQpCkniy5wnVGhEnHUASf379jXUYC459WJqL/image.png)

Ethereum currently exists as 2 layers. There's the execution layer, which is what we use on a daily basis. Then there's the consensus layer, which is called the Beacon Chain. It's running alongside the execution layer with Proof of Stake already working. Once all the necessary tests are complete, we will see the 2 layers merge into the next version of Ethereum. This is something that has been being worked on for years.

![image.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmX48bbKmYLYt8MDGkuGPGJFewt5JMLyennHswM2X9hw42/image.png)

The level of complexity that this merge entails is unimaginable almost. The devs are really doing some incredible work here. Running testnets is normally the way that developers are able to test code and changes without affecting the mainnet. Recently the Kintsugi testnet was completed and the Kiln testnet was deployed. 

In order to really start seeing what will happen when the 2 layers of Ethereum merge, they needed to do something more realistic. This is where the shadow fork comes into play. It enables developers to test how nodes react when the Merge happens without disrupting or affecting the main chain. 

Essentially, the shadow fork that happened yesterday is a copy of the mainnet with the configuration for the Merge. 

![image.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmcY9ApCGhF2NvH2QeQ4NLqKJQZYrbinJixiiqP6tw2CNT/image.png)

If you wanna read all the technical shit that you probably won't understand, a lot of it is covered in this [Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/parithosh_j/status/1513129899460071424). I think the graphic above gives you the general idea. So with the shadow fork running, we are able to see the issues with the merge before the actual merge takes place. 

Surprisingly enough, it seems to be working [with few bugs](https://twitter.com/terencechain/status/1513557505560875011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1513557505560875011%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcryptonews.com%2Fnews%2Fethereum-devs-call-mainnet-shadow-fork-a-huge-success-propose-fixes-for-bugs.htm). Blocks are finalizing and processing at around 12 seconds. This is a huge accomplishment for the Ethereum devs and a huge step toward the merge. 

![image.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmfPuoi1GYxEQfKn3NAVH2ecikgd4yuBc91mNPgqrxm4xT/image.png)

Obviously there are going to be bugs and such, that is the whole point. It comes down to how serious they are and how they are addressed really. So you may have read this entire post and still be wondering what the Shadow Fork means for Ethereum...

It means that we could likely see Ethereum's merge happen very soon. The last testnet was only live for a couple months because it went so successfully. The current testnet will probably conclude soon. This will not be the only shadow fork. This is just the beginning of testing what will happen, so we could likely see a few more before the actual merge happens.

Keep in mind that while things are moving pretty quickly right now with development that this is something that's never been done before. Ethereum is one of the most used blockchains that exists and completely changing the way it validates transactions without breaking it is going to be quite a feat. I can't wait to see what happens.



<img src="https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/l337m45732/EoeEW138tverNwuADDdsbMtp3fzHkseXn7wqiNTbt7BinpT4HWK3tmJ1ktVpNojPAFy.png" alt="image.png">
<center><h2>Thanks for reading! Much love.</h2></center>

---

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