The Ethereum development team clarifies that the measure is due to the difficulty associated with the execution and maintenance of nodes. The Ropsten, Kiln, and Rinkeby networks will be closed, with only Goerli and Sepolia remaining active.
The Ethereum core development team revealed that the team would shut down the Ropsten, Kiln, and Rinkeby test nets once The Merge occurs on the main net.
Ethereum developers would shut down various test nets
This information got revealed by the Ethereum development team on its official blog. There, they highlighted that the procedure would only leave two currently existing test networks active, Goerli and Sepolia, these being the spaces where developers would carry out their projects before launching them on the main net.
A test network is a clone of the first Blockchain, which intends to serve experimental purposes. In the case of Ethereum, there are currently various platforms of this type for developers to test their applications and determine possible flaws, which they can do without dealing with higher costs.
But once projects get released on the main net, test nets lose their purpose as they are not needed. Therefore, given the number of these currently active ecosystems, the Ethereum team suggested suspending various test spaces and leaving only a few enacted.
Schedule for the Closure of the Networks
While there is still time to go before The Merge comes to the main net, the development team has already highlighted a possible schedule for the closure of the test networks.
The Kiln test net, released earlier this year to test factors linked to The Merge, will be the first to close its doors once the main net gets transitioned. The team warns stakeholders not to use this space for long-term trials.
As for Ropsten, the platform that The Merge managed earlier this month will close by the last quarter of this year. Finally, the Rinkeby test net will get substituted by Sepolia, and the changes given by The Merge will not impact here. Therefore, this environment will see its closure between the second and third quarters of 2023, so developers received suggestions to migrate to Sepolia or Goerlich.
The Merge Arrives on the Main Net this Year
The news about the closure of the test networks arrived during expectations about the arrival of The Merge on the Ethereum main net, which would take effect in September this year.
The Merge will be the point at which the change from Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) will become effective by implying a consensus algorithm focused on staking funds to pick validators instead of the traditional use of graphics cards to create more HASH.
This change would bring a significant evolution to the Ethereum platform, among which are a relevant reduction in the electricity consumption caused by the network, more speed in the processing of blocks, and a reduction in the commission margin for trading activities.
By: Jenson Nuñez
