Ethereum Classic Undergoes Phoenix Hard Fork, Brings Ethereum’s Istanbul Features To Classic Chain

Ethereum Classic recently completed its planned upgrade to fetch Ethereum’s Istanbul features to the classic chain. The upgrade has made the 2 protocols completely compatible with each other.

Ethereum Classic achieved its scheduled Phoenix hard fork on 31st May. Notably, the hard fork included several features from Ethereum’s previous Istanbul fork.

The upgrade essentially signifies that the 2 blockchain networks share effectively the same protocol, and are thus completely inter-compatible. It is to be noted that the aforementioned hard fork was planned for block number 10,500,839. The block got mined at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on 31st May.

The Ethereum Classic’s hard fork is the 3rd in a series of recent upgrades intending to bring Ethereum Classic in line with Ethereum, the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap and Ethereum Classic’s so-called sibling. In the month of December last year, the Agharta fork ported Constantinople features to Ethereum Classic, while the Atlantis upgrade was triggered earlier in the month of September last year.

Afri Schoedon, an Ethereum developer, mentioned that the addition of Istanbul features essentially signifies that the 2 projects “reached protocol parity.”