Final Countdown to Ethereum Merge Begins as Configs for the Last Public Testnet Go Live

cryptonews.com:

Ethereum (ETH) took another step towards the Merge, when the current Ethereum Mainnet will "merge" with the beacon chain proof-of-stake (PoS) system -- as configurations for Kiln, the last public testnet before switching to the PoS mining algorithm, have been published.

"The configs for the Kiln testnet are out," said Ethereum Foundation's Parithosh Jayanthi.  He further added that a longer blogpost with more details and links will follow, stating: 

"The beaconchain genesis will be Friday at 14:00 UTC. The [proof-of-work, PoW] chain has already started and we expect the PoW phase to last ~a week. Deploy your smart contracts now to know how they behave pre and post merge!" 

In a late January update, Ethereum core developer Tim Beiko said that Kiln would go live after testing deployments on Kintsugi, a “longer-lived, public testnet” launched in late 2021 and meant to allow application developers to become familiar with a post-merge Ethereum environment.

"Its next version, Kiln, will be the dress rehearsal before existing testnets transition," Beiko said at the time, adding that if no major issues are found, Kiln would "be the last new testnet before we start looking to fork existing ones."

Meanwhile, to ensure the network's security along with a smooth transition, developers are asking the community to test the Kiln mainnet and help the developers find potential issues.

Developer Marius van der Wijden also shared that Kiln has been "spun up" and that it is testing time before the Merge on this testnet happens, set for mid-next week, providing information on how users can get involved. 

"Let me say this as plainly as possible: Kiln is THE BIG milestone for the Ethereum Merge," said Superphiz, whose Twitter bio describes him as an