Ethereum is taking a step this week toward the elusive “proof of stake” model, which promises faster processing times and greater scarcity. The so-called Altair upgrade will take effect on Wednesday morning on Ethereum’s beacon chain. That’s the parallel system running alongside the current “proof of work” blockchain. If all goes well, the big “Merge” between the two will follow early next year. That will usher in the long-awaited switch to Ethereum 2.0. Altair is an incremental step toward making the change a success. It mostly gives software patches to node operators (computers running the network). These mandate ... (full story)