Kiln – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Sat, 17 May 2025 01:22:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.9 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Kiln – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 Announcing the Kiln Merge Testnet https://earlybirdsinvest.com/announcing-the-kiln-merge-testnet/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/announcing-the-kiln-merge-testnet/#respond Sat, 17 May 2025 01:22:40 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/announcing-the-kiln-merge-testnet/

The Kintsugi 🍵 merge testnet, launched late December, has been a valuable testing ground for The Merge. Through various test suites, multi-client devnets, shadow forks of Goerli, application deployments, and the community’s help #TestingTheMerge, we’ve arrived at a set of stable and robust protocol specifications. Now that clients have implemented these latest specs, a successor to Kintsugi, Kiln 🔥🧱, is being launched!

Like the Ethereum mainnet, Kiln’s execution layer was launched under proof-of-work in parallel to a Beacon Chain running proof-of-stake. The Merge happened on Kiln on March 15, 2022. The network is now running entirely under proof-of-stake!

Kiln is expected to be the last merge testnet created before existing public testnets are upgraded. Application & tooling developers, node operators, infrastructure providers and stakers are strongly encouraged to test on Kiln to ensure a smooth transition on existing public testnets.

Kintsugi, the previous merge testnet, will be deprecated in the coming weeks.

Using Kiln

Getting Started

The easiest way to get started using Kiln is to visit the network’s landing page. There, you can add the network to your browser wallet, view block explorers, request funds from the faucet, and connect to a JSON RPC endpoint. If you’d like to be a validator on Kiln, the staking launchpad also supports the network.

Application & Tooling Developers

With Kiln going live, now is the time to ensure that your product works as expected through the proof-of-stake transition and in a post-merge context. As explained in a previous post, The Merge will have only minimal impacts on a subset contracts deployed on Ethereum, none of which should be breaking. Additionally, the lion’s share of user API endpoints remain stable (that is, unless you are using PoW specific methods such as eth_getWork).

That said, most applications on Ethereum involve much more than on-chain contracts. Kiln is where you want to make sure that your front end code, tooling, deployment pipeline and other off-chain components work as intended. We strongly recommend that developers run through a full testing & deployment cycle on Kiln and report any issues with tools or dependencies to those projects’ maintainers. If you are unsure about where to open an issue, please use this repository.

Node Operators

Post-merge, an Ethereum full node will be the combination of a consensus layer client, which runs proof-of-stake on the Beacon Chain, and an execution layer client, which manages the user-state and runs the computations associated with transactions. These communicate over an authenticated port using a new set of JSON RPC methods, called the Engine API.

Node operators will thus need to run both a consensus and execution layer client in tandem. In other words, if you were already running a node on the Beacon Chain, you now need to also run an execution layer client. Similarly, if you were running a node on the current proof-of-work network, you will need to run a consensus layer client.

You can find the latest Kiln-supported release of clients here.

It is worth emphasizing that each layer will maintain an independent set of peers and expose its own APIs. The Beacon and JSON RPC APIs will thus both continue working as expected.

Stakers

As explained above, validators on the Beacon Chain will need to run an execution layer client after The Merge. Pre-merge, this was strongly recommended, but it was possible for validators to outsource these functions to third party providers. This was possible because the only data required on the execution layer were updates to the deposit contract.

Post-merge, validators need to ensure that transactions in blocks they create and attest to are valid. To do so, an execution layer client is required. While this expands validators’ responsibilities, it also gives a validator who proposes a block the right to its associated transaction priority fees (which currently go to miners).

While validator rewards accrue on the Beacon Chain and will require a subsequent upgrade to be withdrawn, transaction fees will continue to be paid, burned, and distributed on the execution layer. Validators can thus specify any Ethereum address as a receipient for transaction fees.

Kiln is the perfect environment for existing stakers to familiarise themselves with the post-merge Ethereum context. We recommend trying to mirror your production setup on the network and ensuring that you work through any issues now.

Again, the staking launchpad provides a simple interface to get started. Note that as part of the renaming away from “eth2.0”, the ethereum/eth2.0-deposit-cli repository will soon be renamed to ethereum/staking-deposit-cli.

FAQ

wen merge?

A date for the Ethereum mainnet proof-of-stake transition has not been set as of the publication of this post. Any source claiming otherwise is likely to be a scam. Updates will be posted on this blog. Please stay safe!

Assuming no issues are found with Kiln, once clients have finalized the details of their implementations, the existing Ethereum testnets (Goerli, Ropsten, etc.) will run through The Merge. Once these have successfully transitioned and stabilized, again, assuming no issues are found, a difficulty value will be set for the mainnet transition. Only then will it be possible to estimate the exact date for The Merge.

As an Ethereum user or Ether holder, is there anything I need to do?

No. If you want to try out Kiln, please do. We hope many community members will join us in #TestingTheMerge on Kiln.

The Ethereum mainnet is not affected by this testnet. Subsequent announcements will be made on this blog prior to mainnet’s transition.

As a miner, is there anything I need to do?

No. If you are mining on the Ethereum mainnet, you should be aware that after The Merge, the network will operate completely under proof-of-stake. At that point, mining will no longer be possible on the network.

As a validator, can I withdraw my stake?

No. The Merge is the most complicated upgrade to Ethereum to date. In order to minimize risks of network disruptions, a minimal approach was taken which excluded any non-transition changes from this upgrade.

Withdrawals from the Beacon Chain will likely be available as of the first upgrade after The Merge. Specifications for both the consensus and execution layers are in progress.

Why Kiln?

The previous merge testnet, Kintsugi, was named after the Japanese art of breaking pottery and fixing it using gold, making it both stronger and more beautiful.

In a similar vein, a Kiln is a high-temperature oven used to turn clay into hardened objects, such as pottery or bricks 🔥🧱.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/announcing-the-kiln-merge-testnet/feed/ 0 36654 Ropsten, Rinkeby & Kiln Deprecation Announcement https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ropsten-rinkeby-kiln-deprecation-announcement/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ropsten-rinkeby-kiln-deprecation-announcement/#respond Wed, 07 May 2025 18:23:04 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ropsten-rinkeby-kiln-deprecation-announcement/
  • Reminder: the Gray Glacier upgrade is scheduled for block 15,050,000, expected June 29, 2022
  • The Kiln Merge testnet, launched earlier this year, will be shut down shortly after the Ethereum mainnet’s transition to proof-of-stake.
  • Ropsten, Ethereum’s longest-lived proof-of-work testnet, has transitionned to proof-of-stake. It will be shut down in Q4 2022.
  • Rinkeby, a geth-based proof-of-authority testnet, will not transition to proof-of-stake and will be shut down in Q2/Q3 2023.
  • Users and developers are encouraged to migrate ASAP to Goerli or Sepolia to test Ethereum in a post-merge context. After The Merge, Rinkeby will not be a suitable testing environment for the Ethereum mainnet. Unplanned mainnet upgrades may no longer be applied to deprecated testnets.

Ethereum has many testnets for users and developers to test things on before interacting with mainnet. These are effectively copies of the Ethereum mainnet on which Ether and other tokens have no value. They allow application, tooling, infrastructure and protocol developers to deploy changes to their products (or the protocol itself!) in a low stakes environment, before moving to mainnet.

That said, because testnets are full-featured blockchains, their history and state grow over time. This eventually makes them harder to run nodes on and to maintain. For this reason, some testnets are periodically sunsetted. This happened last year with the Pyrmont Beacon Chain testnet and more recently with the Kovan execution layer testnet.

With The Merge approaching, client developers have decided to deprecate more testnets in order to focus their efforts on properly maintaining two of them over the long-term: Goerli and Sepolia.

The Kiln, Rinkeby and Ropsten testnets are now being deprecated.

Testnet Shutdown Timeline

While these three testnets are now considered deprecated, users and developers still have time to plan their migration before they are completely shut down. Kiln, Ropsten and Rinkeby will be shut down according to the schedule below.

Kiln: After Mainnet Merge

The Kiln testnet, launched in 2022 to provide a post-merge testing environment, will be shut down shortly after the Ethereum mainnet’s transition to proof-of-stake, expected in the second half of 2022.

Developers should not use Kiln as a long-lasting testing environment. It is expected to be the first testnet to be shut down after The Merge happens on the Ethereum mainnet.

Ropsten: Q4 2022

The Ropsten testnet, which ran through The Merge on June 8, 2022, will be shut down in Q4 2022.

Developers who currently use Ropsten as a staging/testing environment should migrate to Goerli or Sepolia.

Rinkeby: Q2/Q3 2023

The Rinkeby testnet will not run through The Merge. It is being replaced by Sepolia, and will be shut down roughly one year after Sepolia has transitioned to proof-of-stake, around Q2/Q3 2023.

Once the Ethereum mainnet transitions to proof-of-stake, Rinkeby will no longer be an accurate staging environment for mainnet. A list of changes introduced by The Merge that application developers should be aware of is available here. Again, note that these changes will not be deployed to Rinkeby.

Developers who currently use Rinkeby as a staging/testing environment should prioritize migrating to Goerli or Sepolia, and projects who are affected by Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake should aim to do so as soon as possible.

Goerli & Sepolia

The two testnets which client developers will maintain post-merge are Goerli and Sepolia.

The Goerli network will merge with the Prater Beacon Chain testnet. A new Beacon Chain has been created to transition Sepolia to proof-of-stake.

Goerli’s Beacon Chain will remain open for users wanting to run a testnet validator. Sepolia will operate with a permissioned validator set, similarly to how some testnets work today. Stakers wanting to test protocol upgrades before they are deployed to mainnet should therefore use Goerli.

Goerli also has a strong community and a lot of existing infrastructure supporting it. Its state is the closest to mainnet, which can be useful for testing smart contract interactions.

Sepolia, on the other hand, is fairly new, meaning its state and history are both quite small. This means the network is quick to sync to and that running a node on it requires less storage. This is useful for users who want to quickly spin up a node and interact with the network directly.

Summary

In short, Kiln, Ropsten and Rinkeby are now deprecated. While Kiln and Ropsten have already transitioned to proof-of-stake, Rinkeby will not run through this upgrade.

After The Merge happens on mainnet, Kiln will be sunset. Then, by the end of the year, Ropsten will be as well. Roughly one year after Sepolia has transitioned to proof-of-stake, around Q2/Q3 2023, Rinkeby will be turned off.

Two testnets, Goerli and Sepolia, will be maintained going forward. Goerli is recommended for stakers to test protocol upgrades and developers who want to interact with a large existing state. Sepolia is recommended for users and developers who want a lighter weight chain to sync to and interact with.

To everyone who has helped run, maintain or support these networks, thank you!

Header photo by Karl Hedin.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ropsten-rinkeby-kiln-deprecation-announcement/feed/ 0 34935 Kiln Shutdown Announcement https://earlybirdsinvest.com/kiln-shutdown-announcement/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/kiln-shutdown-announcement/#respond Sat, 19 Apr 2025 20:46:32 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/kiln-shutdown-announcement/

  • The Merge is happening soon! This post explains how and when the upgrade will happen, along with the client versions compatible with it.
  • Kiln, an Ethereum merge testnet launched in early 2022, will be shut down during the week of September 12, 2022.
  • Ropsten and Rinkeby are also deprecated and scheduled to be sunset in Q4 2022 and Q3 2023 respectively.
  • Users and developers should migrate to Goerli & Sepolia, which will keep being maintained and upgraded to reflect changes to the Ethereum mainnet for the forseable future.

As previously announced, the Kiln, Ropsten and Rinkeby testnets are now deprecated and will be shut down over the coming months.

Kiln, which was launched for the purposes of testing post-merge Ethereum prior to existing testnets merging, will be shut down during the week of September 12, 2022. While anyone can run a node on the network, bootnodes and validators maintained by client and testing teams, as well as infrastructure providers, will be turned off at that point. This follows the schedule laid out in the deprecation announcement linked above.

Ropsten and Rinkeby are also considered deprecated, with a shut down date of Q4 2022 and Q2 2023 respectively. While the networks will remain active until then, infrastructure providers may gradually restrict or remove access to these networks on a shorter timeline.

Users and developers should migrate to Goerli and/or Sepolia, both of which are expected to be maintained and upgraded in accordance with Ethereum mainnet changes for the forseable future.

Expect other announcements on this blog prior to the Ropsten and Rinkeby shutdowns.

Farewell Kiln, you’ve lived up to your name 🔥🧱

Header photo by Karl Hedin.

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