In a pivotal development for Ethereum’s ongoing evolution, the Dencun upgrade has been implemented on the Holesky testnet, representing the final phase before its anticipated transition to the mainnet next month. Ethereum core developers confirmed the successful deployment of the Dencun upgrade, which followed a phased rollout on the Goerli and Sepolia testnets earlier this year. The upgrade, combining features from the Cancun and Deneb upgrades, aims to enhance both the execution and consensus layers of the Ethereum network.
A highlight of the Dencun upgrade is the introduction of proto-danksharding (EIP-4844), a feature designed to significantly reduce transaction costs and enhance scalability for Ethereum dapps, particularly Layer 2 rollup chains. By allowing for the temporary storage and access of large amounts of off-chain data, Ethereum nodes can efficiently process data, benefiting the entire ecosystem.
With the mainnet deployment of Dencun expected in early to mid-March, the Ethereum All Core Developers call scheduled for tomorrow will finalize the deployment timeline. This upgrade follows Ethereum’s last major enhancement, Shapella, in March 2023, which enabled users and validators to withdraw staked ether on the network for the first time.