Ethereum 2.0 multi-client testnet Medalla is now live

The official multi-client testnet for the long-awaited first phase of Ethereum 2.0 is now live. Ethereum developers expect the testnet, named Medalla, to be the final testing stage before the mainnet launch of Ethereum 2.0, barring any setbacks. If no problems arise, the Beacon Chain could arrive as soon as November, according to developer Afri Schoeden.

Why it matters:

• According to Ethereum 2.0 researcher Danny Ryan, the testnet, named Medalla, will run five different clients at genesis: Teku, Prysm, Nimbus, Lighthouse, and newcomer Lodestar. Core developers have been adamant that Ethereum’s second iteration would benefit from having multiple production-ready clients at launch. The current Ethereum network is overly reliant on a single implementation, Geth, which has almost an 80% share of the client market and is causing some concern among core developers. Ethereum 2.0 is a chance for developers to address what may have gone wrong the first time around.
• The Beacon Chain and Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) is a long time coming. But ever since the Ethereum Foundation started rolling out multi-client devenets (three in total), progress on Ethereum 2.0 has appeared to pick up steam. A November launch date for Phase 0 is becoming more realistic, which would be yet another catalyst in what has been a red hot year for ETH as of late.