One of the most important upgrades on Ethereum, Pectra is now live on the mainnet as the community prepares for accompanying big changes.
There is excitement in the crypto sector as Ethereum finally rolls out the most anticipated upgrade of the season, Pectra. After some delays, the Pectra Upgrade eventually went live on the mainnet on May 7, marking a shift for the Layer-1 ecosystem.
Ethereum Welcomes Improved Functionalities with Pectra Upgrade
This signals the activation of the first phase of Pectra. At first, Ethereum developers had to wait to ensure that the network had achieved finality, which it did. With the Pectra hard fork live, Ethereum aims to achieve streamlined staking, enhanced wallet functionality, and improved overall network efficiency.
In other words, Pectra is designed to bring sweeping changes to Ethereum and how it operates across its growing ecosystem. Other expected functionalities of this upgrade are optimized validator deposit processing, improved historical data access, enhanced cryptographic operations, access to execution layer exits, and streamlined attestation efficiency.
Speaking about the milestone, Preston Van Loon, Ethereum Core developer and co-founder of Prysmatic Labs, described it as the “most ambitious upgrade yet.”
He highlighted EIP-7702: “The impact will be especially powerful in Layer 2 and Layer 3 environments, where developers can design experiences where the user doesn’t even need to think about wallets or gas.”
The Testnet Challenges
Much work has been done to get the Pectra Upgrade on the Ethereum mainnet. In February, developers scheduled test dates for the hard fork, hinting at a possible launch in April. The crucial step was to begin on February 26 with the Holesky testnet, followed by another round on the Sepolia testnet on March 5.
Should both tests go smoothly, these developers planned to meet again on March 6 to finalize the official launch timeline. It is worth noting that Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin had earlier said in an X post that Pectra is expected in March.
As planned, the upgrade was activated on the Holesky testnet on February 24. Furthermore, the Pectra upgrade officially went live on the Sepolia testnet on March 5, specifically deployed at 7:29 AM UTC. During the Holesky testnet, the network failed to finalize due to unresolved technical problems. However, developers sprang into action and sorted out the technical challenge.
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