Ethereum, long a symbol of technological superiority in the crypto world, faces challenges on its path to the Pectra upgrade. Developers battle delays, bugs, and attacks in their pursuit of perfection.
A Storm in a Glass of Ether
It all started in February when Pectra was deployed on Holesky, the testnet meant to validate the upgrade. The process, however, turned into a nightmare: the finalization failed due to insufficient validators on the main chain, causing a memory overload. "We've never seen anything like this," admits Nixo Rokish from the Ethereum Foundation.
Ethereum Team: Tension and Ingenuity
The weary developers create Hoodi, a new testnet launched on March 17 to host Pectra and avoid postponing the mainnet launch. "The teams are exhausted, especially on the consensus layer," explains Rokish. Each day of delay erodes investor confidence.
Beyond Pectra: The Shadow of Dencun
Irony of fate: while Pectra stumbles, Ethereum celebrates Dencun's anniversary. This upgrade, deployed in March 2023, reduced gas fees by 95%. The current problems stem from untested scenarios, revealing weak spots that will improve the network.
Despite the challenges with the Pectra upgrade, Ethereum demonstrates its ability to face challenges and learn from mistakes, moving towards a more stable future.
