Ethereum Developers Optimistic Ahead of Byzantium Blockchain Fork

Ethereum's core developers assembled yesterday for a final scheduled meeting before the blockchain network, the world's second-largest by total value, undergoes its next upgrade, expected on October 16.Held via Google Hangouts at 14:00 UTC, the discussion centered on ensuring all ethereum clients upgrade their software in unison so as to avoid any unintended splits. For the fork to occur across all nodes uniformly, clients need to include the necessary changes that accompany the upgrade – called Byzantium – as well as the trigger at block number 4,370,000 that will mark the official shift to the new code.Once complete, the hard fork will introduce improvements to ethereum, such as making the network faster with fewer data constraints. Additionally, Byzantium – which constitutes the first of two releases in the wider Metropolis upgrade – will ramify security measures and implement new variables that might pave the way for enhanced privacy on the network.But while past upgrades have proven more complicated, according to today's discussion, developers expect clients that have yet to release an update expect to do so by next week. Already, the network's most popular client, Go Ethereum (Geth) has published its release.Further, though the deadline might seem to mark a challenge for client developers, the core development team believes the later release will favor the upgrade by keeping it top of mind.

The meeting did reveal some hiccups, however. For example, there was the realization that some client developers had forgotten to test their software against the lower mining difficulty level that will be introduced in Byzantium.Still, while no meetings are scheduled between now and the fork, developers left the door open to other conversations – if only in the event of an emergency.