Ethereum 2.0

Ethereum 2.0

Ethereum 2.0 or Eth2 is a massive improvement to the present Ethereum public mainnet. Its primary function is to make Ethereum more attractive to the general public and accelerate its adoption and usage. All these are hinged on a performance upgrade.

Ethereum 2.0, the long-awaited upgrade to Ethereum public main net, is expected to enter the market in 2020. The targeted month is July, however, it’s been speculated that the actual release might be postponed. The Ethereum 2.0 is posed to replace Proof of Work with Proof of Stake as the validators and stake are expected to become the main components of the Proof of Stake system.

A Brief History of Ethereum 2.0

The Ethereum community has been abuzz about the Ethereum 2.0 idea for quite a while now. This idea is all about a shift in the fundamental consensus mechanism of Ethereum in order to find a solution to the restrictions introduced by a Proof of Work blockchain, which has been around since the creation of the blockchain.

The coming of Ethereum 2.0 has more importance attached to it compared to previous upgrades. The main reason for this is because a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism will be implemented to take the network away from the Proof of Work architecture on which it currently operates.

Proof of Stake

Proof of Stake (PoS) is the main focus of Ethereum 2.0 because it changes the way the blockchain is validated with regards to the crypto-economic incentive structure. Presently the architecture of Ethereum is maintained by a Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism. Ethereum 2.0 plans to change that by switching to Proof of Stake which will substitute the two main components of PoW (miners & electricity) with validators and stake. Validators will take the place of miners by overseeing the maintenance of the state of the network and getting rewarded for the random selection of the next block of data. For more details, please check our complete guide on Ethereum 2.0.

Staking in Ethereum 2.0

Staking in Ethereum refers to fixing a particular amount of Ether in a wallet with the aim of getting rewards from partaking in a blockchain process or operation. It is similar to contributing to a course while expecting earnings. Generally, staking is open to anyone who is ready to participate by locking up digital assets in their portfolio. Ethereun 2.0 is basically aimed at re modelling the ethereum blockchain network to better suit new system requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

(1) What is the release date of Ethereum 2.0?

The year 2020 (most likely July with the chance to be postponed to a later date) will witness the official launch of Phase 0 of Ethereum 2.0. Come 2021 the Phase 1 is expected to launch. This will be closely followed by Phase 2 and any additional upgrades in 2021 or afterward.

(2) What is Ethereum Proof of Stake?

Proof of Stake is the better alternative to the Proof of Work consensus on which Ethereum 1.0 currently operates. It brings an upgrade to the scalability and security of the entire Ethereum blockchain. For its smooth running, Proof of Stake will ensure the continuation of blocks on the Ethereum blockchain by relying on validators and staked ETH.

(3) What is Ethereum 2.0 staking? / How does staking work on Ethereum 2.0?

Ethereum 2.0 staking simply refers to participating in the network with a certain amount of Ether (ETH) with the aim of obtaining rewards in return. On Ethereum 2.0, staking involves locking up 32 ETH in a wallet to take part in the operation of the Ethereum blockchain in exchange for benefits.

(4) How do you get rewarded for staking on Ethereum 2.0?

To get rewarded for staking on Ethereum 2.0 you’ll have to be a validator. Your reward as a validator comes when you correctly propose and attest to the next block in the chain. Rewards are made available in ETH for valid proposals and attestations.

(5) How can I become a validator for Ethereum 2.0?

With a deposit of 32 ETH into the Ethereum 2.0 network, one can become a validator. The network has provided two ways to do this. The first method of becoming a validator is by running your own validator node and staking ETH yourself. Another option available to you is to engage the services of a staking provider who will help you stake your ETH. The staking providers will offer both custodial and non-custodial staking services. Validators are rewarded with ETH when they validate a block successfully. In the same vein, a validator stands to lose their deposit of 32 ETH if they attempt to compromise the blockchain’s truthful continuation.