Ethereum 'Pectra' Upgrade Approaches Mainnet After Sepolia Test
An update that introduces smart contract functionality for wallets and increases validator staking limits is nearing deployment.
March 5, 2025, 7:58 UTC
What you need to know:
- The Ethereum Pectra upgrade successfully took place on the Sepolia testnet on Wednesday morning.
- The update includes EIP-7251, which increases validator staking limits, and EIP-7702, which allows wallets to function as smart contracts.
- Last week's failed Holesky testnet raises doubts about the mainnet rollout timeline.
Ethereum's long-awaited Pectra upgrade took a major step forward on Wednesday with a successful deployment on the Sepolia testnet.
The biggest Ethereum upgrade since 2024, Pectra consists of 11 key features, or “Ethereum Improvement Proposals” (EIPs), that will be implemented simultaneously. These features are aimed at improving staking, wallet functionality, and overall network efficiency.
The Sepolia Pectra upgrade, which completed at 07:29:36 UTC, follows a failed test on the Ethereum Holesky testnet last week. A misconfiguration among validators led to a chain split, making Holesky temporarily unavailable.
Testnets mimic the main blockchain and serve as a low-stakes testing ground for developers to test code changes. Holesky, whose validator structure is closer to the Ethereum mainnet than Sepolia, was seen as an important testing ground for Pectra. (Developers are still working to restore Holesky and have created an alternative developer network as a temporary validator space.)
Ethereum developers are scheduled to meet on March 6 to discuss the Pectra mainnet release schedule. With only one fully successful test, developers may decide to delay the mainnet rollout to ensure stability.
One of Pectra's key proposals that will benefit Ethereum validators is EIP-7251, which increases the maximum amount of ETH that can be staked from 32 to 2048. This change is intended to address the current inefficient staking system, in which validators staking more than 32 ETH must split their stake among multiple nodes.
Another upcoming proposal, EIP-7702, would allow crypto wallets to temporarily function as smart contracts. This change brings Ethereum closer to account abstraction, allowing wallets to offer more user-friendly features. For example, users would be able to pay transaction fees in stablecoins instead of ETH, set up automatic payments for subscriptions, or restore access to their wallets without the need for complex seed phrases.
Pectra’s complex testing cycle comes as Ethereum developers are under pressure to release updates more quickly. Some Ethereum supporters worry that the network is losing its edge against new chains like Solana, which has become popular among meme coin users in recent months.
ETH's price has also lagged behind other major coins recently, and the Ethereum Foundation, the nonprofit responsible for the network's development, has been plagued by leadership drama.
Read More: Ethereum Pectra Upgrade Launched on 'Holesky' Testnet, But Has Not Been Completed
