Ethereum (ETH) founder Vitalik Buterin says the launch of ETH 2.0 remains on track after confirming the network overhaul is expected next July
Vitalik Buterin acknowledged he may have misheard a question and could have implied that Ethereum’s transition to a proof-of-stake (PoS) network would occur within the next two months. He nonetheless maintained that ETH 2.0 is still on schedule and that the project is “moving in the right direction.”
On Monday at Consensus Distributed, CoinDesk’s Michael J. Casey asked Buterin about a July launch date for ETH 2.0, a timeline previously suggested by researcher Justin Drake in February.
Casey questioned whether Ethereum was ready for the long-awaited upgrade and whether July was the target date. Buterin’s initial response appeared to confirm that timeline.
However, Afri Schoedon, an Ethereum developer and coordinator for the ETH 2.0 testnet, disputed that interpretation in a tweet.
“The final specification is not implemented in any client,” Schoedon wrote on Twitter, noting that Ethereum had not yet launched a “coordinated testnet.”
He also expressed concern that Buterin had seemingly confirmed a July launch date, adding that he “had not seen the talk.”
Buterin apologizes for the misunderstanding, but reiterates ETH 2.0 is on track
Responding to Schoedon’s comments, Buterin first tweeted that he “did not say July.”
He later suggested Casey might have referenced July but said he personally “did not hear July when asked.”
In a follow-up tweet, the Ethereum co-founder admitted he “certainly should have heard July in the question” and took responsibility for the mishearing.
In a statement sent to CoinDesk by email, Buterin explained:
“The question did indeed contain ‘July.’ I don’t remember hearing ‘July,’ so it appears to be my fault if I misheard.”
He apologized to the Ethereum community and the broader crypto space, while reaffirming that ETH 2.0 is on track because the team does not anticipate major obstacles. He also noted that timing decisions are best left to the client developers.
Ethereum (ETH) is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and hosts a large and diverse developer and user community because many projects run on its blockchain. Launched originally as a proof-of-work (PoW) network, similar to Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum has been undergoing an upgrade to transition from PoW to proof-of-stake.
ETH 2.0 is intended to enable that transition, but the upgrade has faced multiple delays. Afri Schoedon has suggested that the launch of Phase 0 of the new Ethereum version could potentially be pushed out into 2021.