The Merge for Ethereum's 'Longest-Lived' PoW Testnet Ropsten Expected 'Around' June 8

cryptonews.com:

Ethereum (ETH)'s Ropsten public testnet, the longest-lived proof-of-work (PoW) testnet that allows for blockchain development testing before deployment on the mainnet, is set to run through The Merge "around June 8."

Ethereum core developer Tim Beiko broke the news on Twitter, detailing that a new Ropsten Beacon Chain was launched on May 30 to provide consensus to the network.

"Ethereum's longest lived PoW testnet is moving to Proof of Stake! A new beacon chain has been launched today, and The Merge is expected around June 8th on the network," the developer said, calling it "the first dress rehearsal."

Beiko detailed that for the Ropsten testnet to undergo the Merge, the Ropsten Beacon Chain will first need to activate the Bellatrix upgrade, which is scheduled at slot 24000, expected on June 2. Subsequently, a Terminal Total Difficulty (TTD) will be chosen to activate The Merge.

"We'll pick a value we expect to hit around June 8 or so. PoW on testnets is hard to estimate, so keep an eye out," the developer added.

The Merge is Ethereum's long-awaited upgrade when the current Ethereum Mainnet will merge with the beacon chain proof-of-stake (PoS) system.

So far, there have been multiple tests to examine how the merge would function, with some of the more notable ones being Kintsugi, Kiln, and shadow forks.

Nevertheless, now it is time for client teams to run Ropsten through The Merge. Since the Ropsten public testnet follows a similar network structure to the Ethereum Mainnet, it is seen as the best replication of the network that would enable developers to test their work in a live setting.

If you run a node, are a validator, or an infra/tooling provider, this is the time to familiarize yourself with the transition and (better