Ethereum will soon launch its first Casper Test network (Casper testnet). Ethereum developers are looking to use their experimental Casper Risk protocol code as a basis for a new test network.
At a core developer meeting today, Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, said that not only was Casper ready to undergo the test, but it could provide security support when testing the client's code. This prospect may be a relief for developers, especially those working on projects that interface with various client products on the Web.
This is because the only cross-client test environment Ropsten is the use of work proofs (such as Ethereum Networks) to cast money, and because the number of miners supporting that particular chain is very small, it is often the target of attack. The remaining test networks Rinkeby and Coven use authoritative proof protocols to help eliminate these threats, but for some developers, the lack of interoperability is far from ideal.
Although the Casper itself is not ready to be widely adopted, let alone integrated into the main ethereum chain, it may also be the golden prime for starting testing, some people said at the meeting.
Developer Peter Szilagyi said: "If we really want to launch Casper, then eventually people need to start implementing it." The meeting confirmed that Casper had a complete Python implementation and that some small tests had been performed.
Looking ahead, there are security issues with the foundation of the Casper Test Network. However, buterin that this can be resolved by designating the network Ethereum Network to elect a representative team, which partly reflects the current authoritative certification agreement, managed by a minority.
Participants in the meeting finally decided to study a new test environment, led by Ethereum developer Piper Merriam, and worked with representatives of the parity, Geth and Casper development teams.
While there are obviously some issues that need to be addressed, Szilagyi stressed that the test environment is full of fun, he says:
"Maybe it's a good thing to have a test network that people really want to use. ”