The Ethereum network is scheduled to undergo the Byzantium hard fork at block 4,370,000, expected to occur between 12:00-13:00 UTC on October 16, 2017. The Ropsten test network already successfully completed the hard fork on September 19th at block 1,700,000.
Ethereum's Metropolis hard fork is approaching, with Byzantium (the first phase) successfully tested on testnet and scheduled for mainnet deployment at block 4.37 million around October 17. This represents a significant upgrade to the Ethereum network with new features being introduced.
The Go Ethereum team released Geth 1.7 'Megara', featuring 125+ code contributions that prepare the network for the upcoming Metropolis hard forks, specifically Byzantium and Constantinople. This release focuses on laying essential groundwork for these major Ethereum protocol upgrades.
