• Dapps:16.23K
  • Blockchains:78
  • Active users:66.47M
  • 30d volume:$303.26B
  • 30d transactions:$879.24M

Pectra Upgrade on Sepolia: Issues and Solutions

user avatar

by Giorgi Kostiuk

4 months ago


The Pectra upgrade on the Sepolia testnet faced unexpected issues, including the production of empty blocks.

Problems with Pectra Upgrade

The Pectra upgrade on Ethereum's Sepolia testnet faced unexpected challenges. Developers experienced bugs in their geth nodes and mined empty blocks immediately upon deployment. The issue arose from an incorrect interaction with the deposit contract, leading to unintended log events and invalid blocks that hampered transaction processing. Developers quickly identified the root cause and proposed a fix to ignore invalid logs. However, the major task was deploying the fix without splitting the chain.

I wrote up the story of the Pectra incident on Sepolia, it's an interesting story about edge cases, coordination and an attacker who swooped in and made our lives much harder!Marius Van der Wijden

New Zero-Token Vulnerability

Even though developers believed the issue was resolved, empty blocks began reappearing. It was soon discovered that an external party exploited a lesser-known aspect of the ERC-20 standard: zero-token transfers. This method allowed anyone to trigger transfer events, bypassing the original fix. In response, developers quickly deployed a private patch blocking transactions with the deposit contract on a limited number of DevOps nodes.

Ethereum Developers' Plans

At 14:00 UTC, Sepolia nodes synchronized with the official patch, restoring normal block production. The developers found that the issue was due to the Sepolia deposit contract being token-gated, unlike the mainnet variant. The attack revealed an issue with the ERC-20 standard—zero-token transfers still emit events. In light of such risks, developers plan deeper reviews of smart contract interactions before deploying Pectra on the Ethereum mainnet.

As a result of the incident, developers have decided to conduct more comprehensive testing prior to deploying updates on the Ethereum mainnet.

0

Rewards

chest
chest
chest
chest

More rewards

Discover enhanced rewards on our social media.

Other news

Bullish, the Crypto Exchange Backed by Peter Thiel, Prepares for IPO

chest

Bullish has filed for IPO, seeking to enter the public market and compete with major players.

user avatarGiorgi Kostiuk

USDC Use on Stellar and Its Impact on XLM Value

chest

Statistics show a rise in USDC transactions on Stellar, indicating growing utility that fuels speculation on XLM prices.

user avatarGiorgi Kostiuk

Litecoin Records New Open Interest at $761 Million. Is LTC Heading to $120?

chest

Litecoin has reached a new record open interest of $761 million, and 66.3% of addresses are in profit, raising hopes for a price increase to $120.

user avatarGiorgi Kostiuk

World Liberty Announces WLFI Token Launch Valued at $16 Billion

chest

WLFI token by World Liberty plans to debut with a $16 billion valuation, with significant backing from DT Marks DEFI LLC.

user avatarGiorgi Kostiuk

Impact of GENIUS Act: Trump Establishes Federal Stablecoin Guidelines

chest

President Trump has signed the GENIUS Act, establishing federal regulations for stablecoins and impacting the U.S. crypto landscape.

user avatarGiorgi Kostiuk

New Opportunities in the Meme Cryptocurrency Market: Troller Cat Gaining Popularity

chest

Exploring the rise of Troller Cat amid shifts in meme cryptocurrencies and the current status of Shiba Inu and Pepe.

user avatarGiorgi Kostiuk
dapp expert logo
© 2020-2025. DappExpert. All rights reserved.
© 2020-2025. DappExpert. All rights reserved.

Important disclaimer: The information presented on the Dapp.Expert portal is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an investment recommendation or a guide to action in the field of cryptocurrencies. The Dapp.Expert team is not responsible for any potential losses or missed profits associated with the use of materials published on the site. Before making investment decisions in cryptocurrencies, we recommend consulting a qualified financial advisor.