Trusted

Why Optimism Will Pause Your Ethereum (ETH) Withdrawals

2 mins
Updated by Bary Rahma
Join our Trading Community on Telegram

In Brief

  • The Optimism Network plans a temporary suspension of Ethereum withdrawals on February 15, starting at 9:00 ET for essential maintenance.
  • The pause is part of a broader strategy to enhance the network's defense against security threats through a significant protocol upgrade.
  • The upgrade introduces a Superchain-wide pause mechanism to reduce risks and offer a unified response to security incidents across all OP Chains.
  • promo

The Optimism (OP) network is poised for a temporary suspension of Ethereum (ETH) withdrawals on Thursday, February 15, starting at 9:00 ET.

The scheduled one-hour interruption is key to a broader strategy. It aims to enhance the network’s defense against security threats.

Optimism Network Plans to Pause Ethereum Withdrawals

The pause, announced by Optimism, will facilitate essential maintenance work and the implementation of a significant protocol upgrade.

“On Thursday, Feb 15th 9:00am ET (6:00am PT), OP Mainnet will be paused as part of a planned maintenance window lasting one hour. During the pause withdraws to L1 will be rejected. The network will be unpaused at 10:00am ET (7:00am PT), Optimism announced.

OP Labs first proposed the upcoming upgrade on January 25. A key part is the new SuperchainConfig contract. This innovative feature is meant to grow with the Superchain, adding new abilities over time. Not to mention, this contract has been working well on OP Sepolia since December 11, 2023.

At the heart of this upgrade lies the enhanced ability to manage security incidents across all OP Chains effectively. The Superchain, with its intricate web of interconnected chains, indeed presents unique security challenges.

Read more: Optimism vs. Arbitrum: Ethereum Layer-2 Rollups Compared

Amount Lost to Security Incidents in 2023
Amount Lost to Security Incidents in 2023. Source: DefiLlama

The upgrade introduces a Superchain-wide pause mechanism. Its goal is to reduce risks by offering a unified and strong response. This is especially for key areas like the L1CrossDomainMessenger and withdrawals for ERC-20 and ERC-721 tokens.

This strategic enhancement is not merely about reinforcing individual chains but about harnessing the collective security prowess of the entire Superchain. The upgrade focuses on L1 smart contracts, ensuring that node operators and users face no disruptions or requirements for action.

It builds on the existing network pause feature on OP Mainnet, introducing a unified SuperchainConfig contract that enhances pause functionality, thereby offering stronger security assurances for all ETH, ERC-20, and ERC-721 tokens within the standard bridges.

Read more: A Beginner’s Guide to Layer-2 Scaling Solutions

The authority to enact or lift these pauses rests with the Optimism Foundation multisig, which applies to all OP Chains that opt into this mechanism. This “all-or-nothing” approach to pausing withdrawals ensures a cohesive and timely response to any discovered vulnerabilities, underscoring the importance of a synchronized security protocol across the Superchain.

Top crypto projects in the US | November 2024
Coinbase Coinbase Explore
Coinrule Coinrule Explore
Uphold Uphold Explore
3Commas 3Commas Explore
Chain GPT Chain GPT Explore
Top crypto projects in the US | November 2024
Coinbase Coinbase Explore
Coinrule Coinrule Explore
Uphold Uphold Explore
3Commas 3Commas Explore
Chain GPT Chain GPT Explore
Top crypto projects in the US | November 2024

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

Harsh.png
Harsh Notariya
Harsh Notariya is an Editorial Standards Lead at BeInCrypto, who also writes about various topics, including decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), tokenization, crypto airdrops, decentralized finance (DeFi), meme coins, and altcoins. Before joining BeInCrypto, he was a community consultant at Totality Corp, specializing in the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Additionally, Harsh was a blockchain content writer and researcher at Financial Funda, where he created...
READ FULL BIO
Sponsored
Sponsored