Ethereum Recovers From a 2nd Finalization Delay on the Blockchain
According to developers, Ethereum faced another delay in finalizing transactions on May 12.
A Twitter user named Terence.eth (@terencechain) posted the following message:
Mainnet is not finalizing again. Prysm is releasing a patch today. Will keep you updated!
— terence.eth (@terencechain) May 12, 2023
Subsequent comments from Terence.eth suggest that the transactions have now been successfully finalized and that other clients are also working on patches. However, he cautioned that Ethereum is not completely free from the issue, indicating that a complete resolution has not yet been achieved.
This incident marks the second delay in achieving finality within a 24-hour period. On May 11, Ethereum experienced a 25-minute delay in finalizing transactions for initially unclear reasons.
The root cause of the problem has been partially identified. Terence.eth explained that Ethereum nodes using the Prysm client encountered problematic attestations, causing the client to consume excessive CPU and memory, leading to a “death spiral.” He also noted that most clients, except for the Lighthouse client, are susceptible to similar issues.
READ MORE: Binance.US Seeking to Reduce Changpeng Zhao’s Stake in Response to Regulatory Scrutiny
Furthermore, Terence.eth mentioned that Prysm nodes discovered a “subtle bug” that emerges during the “death spiral” situation. However, this bug does not seem to be the underlying cause of the problem.
Superphiz, who commented on yesterday’s delay, expressed anticipation of a third incident. He advised node operators to upgrade their hardware and consider using a minority client.
It is important to note that neither of these incidents resulted in a complete outage of Ethereum. The blockchain continued to process transactions partially, which were eventually finalized successfully.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is an experienced finance journalist and a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast. With over five years of experience covering the industry, he deeply understands the complex and constantly evolving world of digital assets. His insightful and thought-provoking articles provide readers with a clear picture of the latest developments and trends in the market. His passionate approach allows him to break down complex ideas into accessible and insightful content. Follow up on his content to be up to date with the most important trends and topics - stay ahead of the curve with CoinsPress.
