Ethereum developers confirmed the key dates of the Pectra upgrade. This is the first major blockchain update since nearly a full year.
Developers expect the mainnet upgrade to be live in April if planned tests on Holesky testnet and Sepolia testnet proceed as planned.
During their latest All Core Developers call, Ethereum’s core builders scheduled Pectra’s first test for Feb. 26 on the Holesky testnet, followed by a second trial on the Sepolia testnet on March 5.
Developers will meet again on 6 March to decide the date of activation for mainnet if these tests go smoothly. Tim Beiko at the Ethereum foundation, who is responsible for protocol support, said that the target date would be early April.
Expected changes
Pectra introduces eight Ethereum Improvement Proposals, a hybrid between the Prague upgrade and Electra, aimed at improving wallet functionality and validator performance.
EIP-7102, one of the changes most anticipated, simplifies the user’s journey by making externally-owned accounts (which include the majority crypto wallets) function like smart contracts.
This improvement is part of a broader move toward account abstraction. A blockchain trend, it aims to increase wallet flexibility by allowing users to pay for transaction fees using assets other than ETH.
EIP-7251 is another significant update that increases the stake limit for validators from 32 ETH up to 2,048. This update is designed to reduce congestion on the network by consolidating operations of large validators and reducing long queues for new nodes.
Challenging landscape
Pectra is an upgrade that comes as Ethereum’s performance has been under scrutiny, especially in comparison to Bitcoin and smart contract rival networks. Rivals like Solana have gained momentum in recent months, drawing attention and talent away from Ethereum’s ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation is also undergoing a major leadership transition, adding further uncertainty about the project’s long-term direction. In recent months, the foundation was also criticized for selling Ethereum during market slumps.
Pectra is a tool that developers are using to reinforce Ethereum’s position as the world leader for smart contract technology. The upgrade, if all goes well, could strengthen Ethereum’s technological edge, improve user adoption and address some of the biggest problems on the network.
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