The Ethereum network will undergo a scheduled upgrade at block number 9,069,000what should happen Saturday December 7, 2019. The exact date is subject to change due to varying block times and time zones.
Please upgrade your node before Sunday, December 1, 2019 to account for varying block times.
Ethernodes.org kindly provided statistics about the Istanbul node and a countdown located at https://ethernodes.org/istanbul. etherscan.io provided a countdown located at https://etherscan.io/block/countdown/9069000. You can monitor the network upgrade in real time on http://forkmon.ethdevops.io/.
What is Istanbul?
Istanbul is the name given to this network upgrade. Previous network upgrades have been given other names such as Constantinople, Fallacious DragonAnd Byzantium.
As an Ethereum user or Ether holder, do I need to do anything?
If you use an exchange (such as Coinbase, Kraken, or Binance), a web wallet service (such as Metamask, MyCrypto, or MyEtherWallet), a mobile wallet service (such as Coinbase Wallet, Status.im, or Trust Wallet), or a hardware wallet (such as Ledger, Trezor, or KeepKey), you don’t need to do anything unless your exchange or wallet service informs you to take further action.
As a node operator or miner, what should I do?
Download the latest version of your Ethereum client:
NOTE: Harmony (ethereumJ) is now a deprecated client and will not support Istanbul. Besu is a mainnet compatible Ethereum client written in Java.
What happens if I’m a miner or node operator and don’t participate in the upgrade?
If you are using an Ethereum client that is not updated to the latest version (listed above), your client will sync with the pre-fork blockchain once the upgrade is complete. You will be stuck on an incompatible chain following the old rules and will not be able to send ether or operate on the Ethereum network after the upgrade.
What is a network upgrade in Ethereum-land?
A network upgrade is a change to the underlying Ethereum protocol, creating new rules to improve the system. The decentralized nature of blockchain systems makes network upgrades more difficult. Network upgrades in a blockchain require cooperation and communication with the community, as well as with the developers of the different Ethereum clients for the transition to go smoothly.
What happens during a network upgrade?
Once the community has reached agreement on what changes to include in the upgrade, the protocol changes are written to the various Ethereum clients, such as Geth, Parity, and Nethermind. Protocol changes are activated at a specific block number. Any nodes that have not been upgraded to the new set of rules will be abandoned on the old chain where the previous rules continue to exist.
What changes will happen in Istanbul?
The changes implemented in Istanbul are defined using the EIPs. Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) outline standards for the Ethereum platform, including core protocol specifications, client APIs, and contract standards. Please see the EIP which lists Istanbul specific changes at EIP-1679. Please also see this article from the Ethereum Cat Herders which summarizes all the changes and explains our in-depth testing process.
THANKS!
Many thanks to the Ethereum community and all Ethereum developers from all clients and platforms who came together to provide input, thoughts and input.
DISCLAIMER: This is an emerging and evolving highly technical space. If you choose to implement the recommendations in this article and continue to participate, you should make sure you understand how it affects you. You should understand that there are risks, including but not limited to risks such as unexpected bugs. By choosing to implement these recommendations, you alone assume the risks and consequences. This article and recommendations do not constitute a sale of any kind and do not create any warranties of any kind, including but not limited to those relating to the Ethereum network or to the Ethereum clients mentioned herein.
