ETH 2.0 client team Prysmatic Labs is releasing a new test network this weekend

Prysmatic Labs, the Ethereum 2.0 client implementation team, is set to launch a new version of its testnet this weekend.

The team has previously put out three projects – Ruby, Sapphire, and Diamond – to advance its progress on ETH 2.0 testing.  The latest release, dabbed Topaz, builds on the previous iterations and, for the first time, will encompass the full configuration of the ETH 2.0 Phase-0 mainnet. With the Sapphire testnet, validators only have to deposit 3.2 ETH – but those on Topaz will need to deposit the full 32 ETH to participate. 

“This testnet is significant in that it mirrors mainnet scale and parameters to the fullest extent,” Preston van Loon, co-founder at Prysmatic Labs, told The Block. “Previous testnet iterations had used either a smaller scale configuration for rapid iteration or used fractional deposits instead of the full 32 ETH deposit value.”

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Prysmatic Labs has started turning down its Sapphire validators, sending new genesis deposits as of today. The launch time for Topez will be either April 18th 00:00 UTC or April 19th 00:00 UTC, van Loon disclosed. 

As The Block previously explained, a multi-client testnet involving two or more compatible clients will have to run for at least two months before the Phase 0 mainnet launch could take place. Topaz will primarily be a single-client testnet, van Loon explained, but it will support interoperability between other clients on the latest specifications for Phase 0. 

“When other client teams update to the latest specification, we fully expect to have multiple clients validating in Topaz, but this network is not the official coordinated multi-client testnet that we require before mainnet release,” he said. 

Notably, Diamond will continue to represent the client’s mainnet release “to remain true to [their] original vision,” according to a Tuesday blog post written by van Loon.

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Yilun joined The Block in November 2019. She has a policy background and extensive experience in reporting and writing. She has worked on stories ranging from business to politics.