Week in Ethereum News, September 3, 2022 - sponsored by Hardhat
Eth News and Links
PoW switch off (the Merge)
Reminder: Update your clients before Bellatrix on September 6
Check you are running Merge-ready releases with the latest bug fixes
Merge TTD predicted September 14 by 797 & September 15 by Bordel; The difference is due to Bordel using a bigger timespan for data so is less reactive to hashrate spikes
mainnet-shadow-fork-12 merged perfectly
mainnet-shadow-fork-13 merges September 9, the last shadow fork before the Merge
Execution layer
Latest core devs call video. Notes from Christine Kim: short call, expect client releases next week for Erigon, Besu & Nethermind
Erigon v2022.08.03-alpha: fix for invalid block production
Large scale graffiti project on Goerli testnet helped find invalid block production issue
evmone (C++ EVM) v0.9.0: 18% faster
EVM Object Format (EOF) explainer: five EOF EIPs proposed for future upgrade
KZG ceremony call video: plan to introduce at Devcon with a single contribution, public contributions to hopefully start November/December
Proof of Stake consensus layer
Client diversity: Prysm ~45% & Lighthouse 34%; Prysm assumed to be slightly lower & Nimbus slightly higher than estimated
Lighthouse v3.1.0: fixes & optimizations for block production
Nimbus v22.8.2: fix for v22.8.1 if DEBUG logging enabled
Teku v22.9.0: fix for issue with public key validation
Checkpointz: run a checkpoint sync endpoint or verify checkpoint sync data
Proposed options for block scoring in MEV-Boost
ERA archive file explainer: flat storage format for historical block & consensus data
Possible post-quantum replacement for Whisk in Single Secret Leader Election
Layer2
Arbitrum One upgraded to Nitro
EIPs/Standards
EIP5539: Revocation list registry
EIP5548: NFT operator approval control
EIP5553: Representing IP and its royalty structure
EIP5554: NFT legal use, sharing, repurposing and remixing
EIP5559: Cross chain write deferral protocol
EIP5560: Redeemable NFTs
EIP5564: Stealth address wallets
EIP5568: Revert signals
EIP5570: Digital receipt NFTs
This newsletter is made possible thanks to Hardhat!
Hardhat just released support for The Merge, as well as major performance improvements on compilation times, making it fast. Solidity developers can now test their contracts in a post-merge environment, with compilation now taking 40% less in most workflows, and a few taking 90% less!
Install the v2.11.0 release and check out the release notes to learn more.
Stuff for developers
Hardhat v2.11.0: test contracts post-Merge and fast compilation
Remix v0.26.0: editor autocomplete, inline error display, jump to definitions, gas estimates; improved contract deploy selector; Vyper repo cloning
Foundry fork tests setup, fuzzing & invariant config and guide to file reading/writing
titanoboa (Vyper interpreter) mainnet forking
web3.js v4.x alpha: Typescript rewrite, v1.x feature parity; moving to web3 GitHub org
Otterscan v2022.08.03: checkpoint sync, partial Sourcify matches and ENS emoji fix
Quay: backend API for Seaport marketplaces in Rust, MIT license
holders.at: snapshot of NFT holders at a specified block, shareable
Build an app NFT on OpenSea using animation URL pointing to IPFS
Optimize calldata usage in contracts for layer 2
zkPIN: commitment pools with zkSNARKs
Security
Compound v2 oracle update froze cETH market & impacts using ETH as collateral in other v2 markets, update being reverted with 7 day timelock
KyberSwap $256k frontend exploit from two victims, malicious code in Google Tag Manager script
Ecosystem
Vitalik’s Proof of Stake book, pre-order signed digital copy & non-transferable NFT
Apply for Ethereum protocol fellowship third cohort, formerly core dev apprenticeship program
Flashbots new website with dark mode
NFT marketplace web traffic visualization: Twitter, young, male, desktop & US users
Application layer
Rune’s idea to free float DAI; MakerDAO drama explainer: futurists, centralists & decentralists
Rai: adventures in tuning the PI controller parameters
DeFi Saver trailing stop automated strategy
Babylon Finance shutting down
Config: visualizer of DeFi risk parameters, supports Aave
ENS .domains gateway, alternative to .limo; recovery of .eth.link still being attempted
ENS rarity and subdomains
Snoop Dogg & Eminem perform as Bored Apes at the MTV Video Music Awards
Job Listings
ØVIX + GOGO Protocol: Senior DeFi Blockchain Developer
Ethereum Foundation seek a generalist ecosystem developer
Gnosis Chain looking for Head of Bridges, Head of Validators & DevRel Eng.
Job listings: $600 for four issues (75 character limit), payable in ETH/DAI/USDC to abcoathup.eth on mainnet or Layer 2. Pay with one click using 3cities. Questions? abcoathup at-gmail
Regulation/business/tokens
a16z Can’t Be Evil NFT licenses: commercial rights or personal use variations
foobar: NFT royalties are unenforceable, options for creators to sustainably monetize
DAO treasury management in downturns: priorities are capital preservation, liquidity and income
web3 compensation (survey of 18 companies): $125k median ($150k US median) plus equity/tokens and remote working
General
Blockchain drama: undercover recordings of crypto lawyer
Framework for users to assess reliability of bridges
Chrome zero-day, insufficient data validation in Mojo
Chromium-based browsers can write to clipboard without permission
US data broker selling location data for individuals gathered from apps to law enforcement
Follow @WeekinEthNews to find out what the most clicked links are. Follow @evan_van_ness and @abcoathup to get most of the week’s news in real time.
Permalink for this week’s issue: https://weekinethereumnews.com/week-in-ethereum-news-september-3-2022
Upcoming Dates of Note
(new/changes in bold)
Sep 6 – Bellatrix upgrade (epoch: 144896)
Sep 6-9 – MCON 2 (Denver)
Sep 7-22 – Gitcoin Grants round 15
Sep 9 – Merge Community Call #7
Sep 9-11 – Ethereum SP (São Paulo)
Sep 12-14 – DappCon (Berlin)
Sep ~15 – the Merge (TTD: 58750000000000000000000)
Sep 16 – Ethereum Protocol Fellowship applications close
Sep 16-18 - EthBerlin
Sep 23 - ETH HCMC summit (Ho Chi Minh)
Sep 23-24 - ETHSantiago
Oct 7-16 – Devcon week (Bogotá)
Oct 7-9 – ETHBogotá (ETH Global)
Oct 7-9 – Infinite hackathon (Bogotá)
Oct 11-14 – Devcon 6 (Bogotá)
Oct 18-23 – Eth Medellin (Colombia)
Oct 26-28 – Eth Panama
Oct 28-30 – ETH Lisbon
Nov 4-6 – ETHSanFrancisco (ETH Global)
Nov 11-13 – ETHBrno (Czech Republic)
Nov 18-20 – Web3 Weekend (ETH Global)
Dec 2-4 – ETHIndia (ETH Global)
Mar 2-5 – ETHDenver
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