In the latest development, the Ethereum Foundation has announced the launch of the Mekong testnet, marking a significant step towards the upcoming Pectra fork.
The Ethereum Foundation explained that the Mekong testnet includes all the Ethereum Investment Proposals (EIPs) proposed for the upcoming Pectra fork on Ethereum, including user experience adjustments, staking modifications, and changes to the deposit and exit mechanisms.
‘A Playground To Experiment’
It underscored that Mekong is meant to be a playground for wallet developers to experiment with UX changes and for stakers to gain confidence in the upcoming changes. The testnet will be short-lived and is feature-complete with all the intended EIPs for Pectra.
“We may see some minor spec changes or smaller EIPs, but the features included here will make it into existing public testnets and finally Ethereum mainnet,” it noted.
Those interested in participating in the testnet can access the Mekong network via its landing page, where they can connect their wallets, view block explorers and request test funds.
In order to run a node on the Mekong testnet, instructions are available. Participants are required to operate both an Execution and Consensus layer node, as they would on Ethereum’s mainnet.
Mekong Testnet Does Not Affect Other ETH Networks
The foundation also noted that Mekong is a new testnet and does not affect other Ethereum networks like Holesky or Sepolia, however, testing on Mekong will inform the deployment of the Pectra upgrade on other Ethereum networks. It is assumed that the upgrade will go live in Q1 2025.
The Ethereum Foundation emphasized that this initiative is crucial for ensuring a smooth transition and adoption of the new features by the broader Ethereum community.