Dear Ethereum Classic stakeholders,
The Ethereum Classic (ETC) network will undergo a planned Agharta hard-fork at block 9,573,000, scheduled for January 2020. This upgrade aligns ETC with Ethereum’s Constantinople improvements, enhancing protocol efficiency and security.
Key Actions for Miners, Exchanges, and Users
To ensure compatibility:
Upgrade your client to a fork-supported version:
- Classic-Geth (v6.1.2+) – Note: End-of-life after this fork; migrate to Besu, Multi-Geth, or Parity.
- Multi-Geth (v1.9.6+)
- Parity (v2.6.8-beta or v2.5.13-stable) – Includes critical security patches.
- Hyperledger Besu (v1.3.7+)
👉 Track the hard-fork progress via the live dashboard.
- Infrastructure providers: Sign up for hard-fork alerts to receive timely updates.
Understanding the Agharta Hard-Fork
What is a Hard Fork?
A protocol upgrade introducing new rules to the blockchain. Nodes must update to avoid diverging from the mainnet.
Agharta’s Objective
Implements Ethereum’s Constantinople features via ECIP-1056, including:
- EIP 145: Bitwise shifting for optimized data processing.
- EIP 1014: Enables state channels via
CREATE2. - EIP 1052: Gas-efficient contract calls with
EXTCODEHASH.
Contingency Plans
If critical issues arise, updates will be shared via:
FAQs
Why upgrade clients before the fork?
Unupdated nodes will follow obsolete rules, risking isolation from the upgraded chain.
Is my ETC safe after the fork?
Yes, but ensure your wallet/exchange supports the fork. No new tokens will be created.
What happens if miners don’t upgrade?
They’ll mine an incompatible chain, wasting resources.
👉 Explore Ethereum Classic’s roadmap for future upgrades.
Disclaimer: This is a technical protocol upgrade. Participants assume all risks, including potential bugs. Always verify information from official sources.