If there is broad agreement among users of Ethereum software, the code change referred to as ‘ProgPoW’ will terminate ASICs built by the crypto mining giant Bitmain. This transformation would permit the GPU hardware that was phased out by ASICS to come back.
Referring to the recent change, security leader Martin Holst Swende said that he favors the transition because it will assist to ensure the safety of the eventual migration of Ethereum to proof of stake.
Martin Holst Swende further said “We know today that Eth hash has flaws which are currently being targeted. So, that’s why I would like to switch as soon as possible to give us time to move to proof-of-stake.”
Regarding the decision, Ethereum Foundation communications officer Hudson Jameson opined as follows:
“Sounds like we have come to an agreement that we are tentatively going ahead with ProgPoW, which means we are going ahead unless there is a major problem found with the testing or things of that nature. We will be going forward with ProgPoW.”
This recent outcome happens at a time when the most crucial Constantinople upgrade is planned to be implemented on 16 January 2019. As of now, the upgrade will be implemented at block #7,080,000, sometime between 14 January and 18 January 2019.
Initially planned for implementation in November, the upgrade to Constantinople is anticipated to bring about a series of changes that would simplify the code of the platform. It also intends to postpone the ‘ difficulty bomb,’ a network – level protocol that amplifies the labor required to mine a new block exponentially. In a way, it also makes the miners opposition unimportant when the network ultimately eliminates them by upgrading the Proof of Stake (PoS).