If testnet participation is any indication, Ethereum 2.0 validators are itching for the real thing as the network kickoff looms.
Only 36% of the necessary 66% participants needed to secure the Medalla testnet have stuck around, according to beaconcha.in.Â
Thatâs echoed by the more recent Zinken testnet, which has just under the 66% needed to function properly as of Monday, according to beaconcha.in. Those testnets â meant to practice the launch of Eth 2.0âs Phase 0 this fall â launched in September and October, respectively.
âMedalla has entered a finality issue again due to user confusion around which testnet they should run. Unfortunately, many users had abandoned Medalla for Zinken,â Prysmatic Labs team lead Preston Van Loon told CoinDesk in a message.
Read more: Ethereum 2.0 âDress Rehearsalâ Gets a Second Shot With Zinken Testnet
Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains are similar to political elections: Depositors of coin holdings act as politicians and every transaction must be voted on in what is called validation. Moreover, enough politicians need to show up for the vote to count in what is termed âfinality.â Neither Medalla or Zinken currently have enough votes to do so.
The low testnet participation rates are mirrored by rhetoric from Eth 2.0 developers who say they are ready for Eth 2.0âs Phase 0 to begin. For example, ConsenSys Eth 2.0 developer Ben Edgington called on developers to release the deposit contract in a CoinDesk Op-Ed last week.
In a blog, Edgington further said he is âexpecting news about the deposit contract any day nowâ and that client teams were basically âgood to go.â