Ethereum Core Developers Aim For Pectra Mainnet Launch In April, Pending Public Testnet Upgrade
In Brief
Ethereum core developers have confirmed the Pectra upgrade schedule for the Holesky and Sepolia testnets on February 24 and March 5, respectively, with a targeted mainnet launch in April.
Ethereum’s core developers held a call to discuss updates and plan changes to Ethereum’s execution layer (EL). During ACDE #205, they outlined the schedule for the upcoming public testnet upgrades. Client teams mentioned their readiness to release software that will enable the Pectra upgrade on the Holesky and Sepolia testnets, with release dates set for February 24th and March 5th, respectively.
Subsequently, client releases for both consensus and execution layers have been made available. Prior to any mainnet upgrade, the updates will first be tested on the testnets to ensure proper functionality and minimize risk to live assets.
Furthermore, during the call, developers also reviewed a proposal from Ethereum Foundation Protocol Support Lead Tim Beiko to finalize the scope of the next major Ethereum upgrade, Fusaka, by the time the Pectra upgrade is deployed on the mainnet. Assuming the public testnet upgrades go well, the team anticipates scheduling the Pectra upgrade for the Ethereum mainnet around April 8th.
Representatives from the Geth team expressed opposition to Tim Beiko’s proposal, arguing that the timeline for finalizing the scope of Fusaka was too rushed. They also suggested that one of the Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) included in Fusaka, EOF, should be excluded from the upgrade.
In order to address the concerns of the Geth developers, Tim Beiko proposed extending the timeline for determining which EIPs should be part of Fusaka. Instead of the initially suggested two weeks, Beiko recommended allowing a month for developers to propose new EIPs for the Fusaka fork. Additionally, to ease the burden on the Geth team, Beiko suggested that individual team members could share their input asynchronously rather than requiring the entire team to align their thoughts ahead of scheduled calls.
What Is Pectra?
Pectra, short for Prague – Electra, is the upcoming network upgrade for Ethereum. “Prague” refers to changes on the execution client side, while “Electra” pertains to updates on the consensus layer client side.
This upgrade is expected to be Ethereum’s biggest to date, incorporating a large number of EIPs and new features. Among the notable EIPs in the Pectra upgrade is EIP-7702, which introduces account abstraction. Another important proposal, EIP-7251, seeks to increase the MAX_EFFECTIVE_BALANCE for Ethereum validators. Additionally, EIP-7691 will address issues related to blob throughput, along with other proposed updates.
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About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
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Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
