Ethereum’s Shapellabug Test Reveals Minor Issues Ahead of Sepolia Upgrade

According to reports, Tim Beiko, the core developer of Ethereum, tweeted that Marius Van Der Wijden, the developer, found a public test network Shapellabug, which occurred during the full synchronization of empty blocks (no transactions or withdrawals). Several other clients also encountered this problem. However, this problem is easy to test and can be quickly repaired. The team believes that this will not affect the schedule of Sepolia upgrade, which is still planned to be carried out at 12:00 on February 28. In addition, Barnabas Busa updated the latest withdrawal Devnet for the stress test of Shapella. The Devnet has 600000 verifiers, of which 360000 verifiers perform the withdrawal voucher update at the time of bifurcation. The client sees a surge in RAM+CPU usage. The deops team will monitor the development network in the next few days to see how many credential update messages are included and lost. The test also revealed the problem of PrysmBesu, where Besu limited the number of responses it sent through RPC to prevent DoS, but the number of responses Prysm expected was higher than Besu’s current limit. Besu team is currently investigating this matter. In addition, developers also plan to conduct another main network shadow bifurcation, and will do some Mev-Boost tests on it. On February 10, the Ethereum Foundation said that the upgrade of Shanghai+Capella (Shapella) main network was entering the final pre-release sequence – the public test network. Shapella includes many functions, but the most important thing for the pledgor and the consensus layer is to support withdrawal. Withdrawing verifiers can withdraw in full, while active verifiers with a balance of more than 32ETH can withdraw in part. In addition, Sepolia, the first long-term public test network, is scheduled to be upgraded on February 28.

Ethereum developer: There is a problem in the withdrawal test of Shapella, but it will not affect the upgrade time of Shapella

Interpretation of the news:


The Ethereum team is gearing up for the Sepolia upgrade scheduled for February 28. But, prior to the crucial milestone, the public test network Shapellabug revealed a bug during the full synchronization of empty blocks. Developer Marius Van Der Wijden found the bug, which affected several clients. While the bug is easy to test and can be quickly repaired, it is worth noting that as the team proceeds with the upgrade, it must tread with caution to quickly address any issues that may arise.

In addition to the Shapellabug bug, Barnabas Busa updated the latest withdrawal Devnet for the stress test of Shapella. The update revealed a surge in RAM+CPU usage, which could pose a potential risk during the bifurcation. The team will continue to monitor the development network to observe lost credential update messages.

During the test, the team also encountered a problem with PrysmBesu, wherein Besu limited the number of responses it sent through RPC to prevent Denial of Service (DoS). Still, the number of responses Prysm expected was higher than Besu’s current limit. The Besu team is currently investigating this matter.

Despite the minor issues encountered during the Shapellabug test, the Ethereum team is confident that the Sepolia upgrade will push through as scheduled. The upgrade includes several features, including the withdrawal function. Withdrawal verifiers can withdraw in full, while active verifiers with a balance of more than 32ETH can withdraw in part.

Moreover, developers will conduct another main network shadow bifurcation and perform some Mev-Boost tests on it. The team remains vigilant in testing and identifying potential vulnerabilities and will continue to polish the network’s capabilities.

In conclusion, the Ethereum team’s meticulousness in testing and monitoring the network ahead of the Sepolia upgrade signals their dedication to delivering a robust and secure platform for their users. While there may be some hiccups along the way, the team’s proactive stance in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities is an assurance that they are taking the necessary steps to minimize risks and ensure network stability.

Overall, the Shapellabug test reveals the Ethereum team’s attentiveness to polishing their platform and delivering secure and reliable services to their users.