Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says the blockchain’s highly anticipated ‘merge’ will happen in August

This is a massive change, with much at stake. 

“Of course, there’s always a risk of problems. There’s also a risk of delays,” Buterin said. 

If such problems or delays arise, the merge might be pushed to September or October, he said. 

Ethereum developers have worked on the shift to proof-of-stake for the last seven years, but the merge has been frequently delayed. This has convinced naysayers that the merge is unlikely to happen. Nonetheless, “the merge, at this point, is looking like it’s very close to happening,” Buterin said. “Ethereum will finally become a proof-of-stake network.” 

Buterin’s comments come after Ethereum developers confirmed Ropsten, one of Ethereum’s key test networks, will undergo the merge on June 8. 

“This will be a major test, larger than any of the tests that we have done before,” Buterin said of the upcoming Ropsten merge test.  

If all goes well with Ropsten, “the likely plan is for the merge to happen in the summer,” Buterin said.