• Parity developer Afri Schoeden has reported on the successful launch of the multi-client test network called “Schlesi” v0.11 for Ethereum 2.0.
• The Schlesi multi-client testnet was developed with the goal to focus on the various uses of the client, such as synchronizing and validating a node.

In a significant development for the transition to Ethereum 2.0, parity developer Afri Schoeden announced the launch of the multi-client testnet Schlesi v0.11. The testnet, named after a subway station in Berlin, is supposed to show that the clients are ready to withstand the conditions of the mainnet Beacon chain.

A milestone in the transition to Ethereum 2.0

Started as a non-incentivized testnet, every user can create validator deposits for free and become part of the testnet. In addition to the general testing of the conditions of the mainnet, Schlesi will focus on testing and ensuring compatibility and communication between the most important clients. According to the official GitHub site, Prysm and Lighthouse are currently part of the testnet. In the future, however, more clients will be added one by one so that developers can check the connection, synchronization and consensus state of the clients.

In addition to Prysm and Lighthouse, Schlesi will add the following clients: Cortex, Lodestar, Nimbus, Teku and Trinity. At the time of publication, 9 issues have been reported in the testnet, which are currently being resolved by the developers. Most of the bugs found concern synchronization and communication between the clients. About the testnet, the project page on GitHub states:

For the first time, a variety of new clients will be working together on a brand new blockchain with a new, unique approach to networking and consensus (…). This requires us to have stable, long-term, and persistent testnets up and running that are supported by not only one client but multiple clients, ideally, all clients.

In contrast to others, the team behind Schlesi emphasizes that the testnet is not a pure simulation of ETH 2.0, but a slightly modified version of the mainnet configuration, aimed at the testing of the clients:

Each user of the beacon chain should be able to manually complete any task, i.e., setting up a validator or synchronizing a beacon chain node. Scripts will be convenient in future to ease this process but for now we need to ensure that nodes, clients, and other tooling is ready to be used sufficiently to complete all tasks required by a beacon chain mainnet.

Progress on the transition to Ethereum 2.0

Ethereum is currently in a transition phase to move its consensus algorithm from the proof of work to the proof of stake. A few days ago, the “Topaz” testnet was launched which will be active for about 3 months and is supposed to be the last big milestone (besides a multi-client testnet) before the ETH2 launch. Topaz is using the same configuration that the Ethereum 2.0 mainnet will probably have when it is launched. If the results of the tests are positive, phase 0 is expected to be released on July 30th, although the date is currently pending.

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