Ethereum 'Merge' edging closer with final Kiln testnet launch

cointelegraph.com:

The much-anticipated ‘Merge’ on the Ethereum network is another step closer to becoming a reality after the final public testnet Kiln launched to put it through its paces.

On March 14, the Ethereum Foundation urged network stakeholders to run tests using Kiln “to ensure a smooth transition on existing public testnets.”

Ethereum developer Tim Beiko confirmed that Kiln has gone live and will soon be ready to merge with the Beacon Chain in a March 14 tweet. The testnet launched late last week in proof-of-work mode only.

Kiln, the next iteration of Ethereum merge testnets, is now live Highly recommended that node operators, application developers, stakers, tooling/infra providers test their setups on the network. Blog post has all the info to get started https://t.co/TCHBZxcFlt

Kiln is now operating in a proof-of-work (PoW) testing environment for Ethereum developers, node operators, and stakers. It is the final public testnet before the whole network transitions to proof-of-stake from PoW sometime this year. Kiln will fully test the merge sometime this week.

Beiko told Cointelgraph today that launching Kiln "a week or so from launch to merge was definitely the intention." He said Ethereum developers wanted to "give the community the opportunity to test their products through the merge."

Got the Kiln Testnet working perfectly, bring on the merge @superphiz @remy_roy thanks for the great tutorials. pic.twitter.com/jtOCaX2m8W

Kiln was originally launched as a PoW testnet that mimicked the Ethereum network’s operational environment. It ran parallel to the Beacon Chain, the first major PoS component of Ethereum 2.0 (now called the consensus layer) where ETH holders can stake their coins and begin securing the future of the Ethereum