Ethereum has announced the testing of a significant Pectra update, scheduled throughout 2024, introducing substantial improvements for users.
Pectra Testing Plans
Ethereum developers confirmed at the All Core Developers meeting that testing of the Pectra update will start on February 26 on the Holesky testnet, followed by the Sepolia testnet on March 5. If successful, an official mainnet launch date will be set on March 6, expected in early April, according to Ethereum Foundation's Tim Beiko.
Key Update Changes
The Pectra update, combining the Prague and Electra amendments, will introduce eight major Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) aimed at enhancing usability and staking efficiency. One key change, EIP-7702, will allow users to pay fees with tokens other than ETH and introduce smart contract capabilities for most wallets. Another crucial change, EIP-7251, will increase the maximum stake per validator from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH.
Significance of Pectra Update
The Pectra upgrade will provide Ethereum with competitive advantages in the evolving blockchain world. These changes will simplify node management for large validators and reduce validator activation delays, speeding up the deployment of new infrastructure projects.
Pectra promises significant improvements for Ethereum as developers aim to enhance its competitiveness. Successful tests and implementation are poised to be a major step forward for the Ethereum ecosystem.
