Code: NT-109
Tags: #ethereum #eth2 #staking
Language: en

Situation Report

Multiclient testnets like Prysmatic’s Sapphire and Lighthouse’s builds were running, giving validators their first taste of the Beacon Chain. The deposit contract spec was nearly final, but tooling for key management lagged.

Architecture Notes

Eth2 introduced the Beacon Chain, validator committees, and a shift to proof of stake with 32 ETH bonds. Clients were written in Go, Rust, Nim, and Java, each emphasizing slashing protection and light client support.

Operational Impact

Staking-as-a-service firms drafted custody policies, and exchanges debated whether to offer pooled staking without triggering securities issues. Community educators produced launchpad walkthroughs to reduce user error before mainnet deposits opened.

Forward Watch

Launch readiness depended on passing the minimum validator threshold (~524k ETH) and proving clients could handle long-lived testnets without finality failures.

Full Note

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