Ethereum Foundation Doubles Maximum Bug Bounty for Shapella Upgrade

The Ethereum blockchain is set to undergo a major upgrade known as Shapella, also referred to as Shanghai-Capella, on April 12, 2023. The Ethereum Foundation has announced that it has doubled the maximum bug bounty to $500,000 for identifying related vulnerabilities ahead of the upgrade.

What is Shapella?

Shapella is the upcoming Ethereum blockchain upgrade scheduled for release on April 12, 2023, at 10:27 a.m. UTC, at block number 6,209,536. Its main feature is Ethereum Improvement Proposal-4895, which will enable validator staking withdrawals on the main network for the first time. It also includes three other improvements aimed at optimizing gas costs for specific activities.

Bug Bounty Program

A bug bounty program is offered by organizations to incentivize individuals or groups to identify and report security vulnerabilities in their software or systems. The Ethereum Foundation’s bug bounty program covers vulnerabilities in various aspects of the network, including the blockchain consensus model, proof of stake, network security, and consensus integrity.

In a developers meeting on Thursday, Fredrik Svantes, a security researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, highlighted the increased reward as part of the last-minute testing efforts. The doubling of the maximum bounty for identifying Shapella vulnerabilities may be seen as a precautionary step in ensuring the security of the network.

Final Shadow Fork

Once final client software releases are out, developers will launch one final mainnet “shadow fork” to test these releases. In the context of Ethereum, a software fork is a test done on the mainnet rather than a testnet, allowing developers to see if a piece of code from the proposed upgrade will work correctly on the real blockchain. There have also been multiple shadow forks conducted before in preparation for Shapella and a final one is needed to test client releases.

Extensive Public Testing

Developers have conducted extensive public testing on three test networks, or testnets, namely Sepolia, Zhejiang, and Goerli. On March 14, Shapella was deployed on the Goerli testnet as the final dress rehearsal prior to the mainnet launch.

Node Operators Urged to Upgrade

During the Thursday meeting, developers also urged all node operators on the Ethereum network to upgrade their nodes ahead of the launch to ensure a smooth transition. Overall, the Ethereum core team is taking a comprehensive approach to testing and ensuring the security of the upcoming Shapella upgrade, in anticipation of its launch.

Conclusion

The Ethereum Foundation has doubled the maximum bug bounty to $500,000 for identifying related vulnerabilities ahead of the Shapella upgrade. The bug bounty program covers vulnerabilities in various aspects of the network, and the increased reward may be seen as a precautionary step in ensuring the security of the network. Developers have conducted extensive public testing on testnets, and a final “shadow fork” is needed to test client releases. Node operators are urged to upgrade their nodes ahead of the launch to ensure a smooth transition.

FAQs

1. What is the Ethereum Foundation’s bug bounty program?

• The bug bounty program incentivizes individuals or groups to identify and report security vulnerabilities in their software or systems.

2. What is the main feature of the Shapella upgrade?

• The main feature is Ethereum Improvement Proposal-4895, which will enable validator staking withdrawals on the main network for the first time.

3. What is a shadow fork?

• A shadow fork is a test done on the mainnet rather than a testnet, allowing developers to see if a piece of code from the proposed upgrade will work correctly on the real blockchain.

4. Why have multiple shadow forks been conducted before the Shapella upgrade?

• Multiple shadow forks were conducted to test the upgrades on the main network and ensure they will be fully functional for the Shapella upgrade.

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