Dash’s DIP 3 has been locked in, eyeing activation next week, switching masternodes over to a split key-enabled setup.

#Dash ’13 locked_in’ occurred (dip3)

’13 Activation’ will take place Block Height 1,028,160

(next Wednesday morning UTC time/7 days from now)

You can then start registering your MN on the deterministic Masternode list, we will poste Guides and Updates beforehand#DigitalCash pic.twitter.com/7CXiJzGwHF — DASH (@Dashpay) February 20, 2019

Dash Improvement Proposal 0003, or DIP 3, was locked in for activation today, with an activation block height of 1,028,160, which is expected to occur next Wednesday. DIP 3 constitutes deterministic masternode lists, which restructures the way masternodes operate, splitting the keys into three: one to prove ownership of the 1,000 Dash collateral, one to operate the node itself, and one to vote on treasury proposals. This allows different functions of the masternode to be performed by different parties, including a splitting of the rewards for the node, but also allows for a deterministic list of masternodes to be used, removing the need for access to the entire blockchain (i.e. a full node) in order to leverage the masternode network. This makes certain functionality, such as PrivateSend anonymous transactions, possible on light wallets, which previously had to trust a full node.

Upon DIP 3’s activation next week, all masternodes must be upgraded in order to continue to receive payments. Masternodes that upgrade sooner will reach a more favorable position in the payment queue and will be paid sooner.

Dash’s multi-phased upgrade process for maximum stability

The activation of DIP 3 is part of a multi-phased rollout of the version 0.13 upgrade, one of the most major in Dash’s history. After the initial release, an activation threshold was set for activation of the various DIPs included in the update, requiring at least 80% of blocks on the new version for a set 4,032 block window before locking in the update. Following the lock-in, remaining nodes have about a week to update before they are required to do so in order to continue to be paid

The block percentage threshold requirement ensured that a vast majority of the network had upgraded before causing potentially disruptive changes to take effect, and the week delay past activation gives the rest of the network time to also come on to the new version after broad consensus has been reached. This provides for a much smoother and stable rollout of a major upgrade, which should bring Dash on to the new version without major disruptions.

First of three major upgrades, comprising Evolution version one, to be released this year

Version 0.13 is the first of three major upgrades that take Dash to the next level of development and comprise the first version of what is broadly known as Evolution, an update known mostly for promising blockchain usernames and contact lists, providing a smooth user experience network-wide while maintaining maximum decentralization. The next version, 0.14, is expected for release on testnet this quarter, and will include ChainLocks, a mechanism for protecting against 51% mining attacks. Following version 0.14, version 1.0, known as the first version of Evolution, is expected, drawing on the foundations built in 0.13 and 0.14.