Ethereum Activates 'Pectra' Upgrade, Raising Max Stake to 2048 ETH
Ethereum Activates 'Pectra' Upgrade, Raising Max Stake to 2048 ETH
The main goal of the update is to optimize staking, improve wallet functionality and increase overall efficiency.
Margot Nijkerk | Edited by Sam Kessler Updated May 7, 2025, 5:05 PM Published May 7, 2025, 10:08 AM
Key points:
- On Wednesday, Ethereum activated its long-awaited “Pectra” upgrade, marking the most significant change to the blockchain since its merger in 2022.
- The main goal of the update is to optimize staking, improve wallet functionality and increase overall efficiency.
- It comes amid increasing competition and internal debate over Ethereum's direction.
On Wednesday, Ethereum activated its long-awaited “Pectra” upgrade, marking the most significant upgrade to the blockchain since the 2022 merger.
The update aims to streamline staking, improve wallet functionality, and increase overall efficiency. It comes amid growing competition and internal debates about the future of Ethereum.
The Pectra upgrade, a “hard fork” in blockchain terms, was launched at 10:05 UTC and completed approximately 13 minutes later.
A key aspect of the upgrade is increasing the maximum amount of ETH that can be staked from 32 to 2048. This change could help speed up and streamline processes for stakers, the vast network of organizations and individuals that help keep the Ethereum network running.
Previously, staking at scale required setting up multiple validators; now, stakers can pool the required amount within a single node.
The upgrade, considered the biggest for Ethereum since it switched to proof-of-stake in 2022, comes at a delicate time for the ecosystem. It follows two failed test runs, one of which permanently took down a major Ethereum testnet.
Moreover, Ethereum, the network that introduced smart contracts and decentralized applications on the blockchain, has been steadily losing market share to more agile competitors in recent months.
In particular, Solana has attracted more new developers over the past year than Ethereum, which has long been perceived as the dominant blockchain distinct from Bitcoin.
The Ethereum community is debating whether its unofficial leader, the nonprofit Ethereum Foundation, is responsible for the ETH token's price drop and the industry's perception that the network lacks a clear vision.
In response, the Swiss foundation has unveiled new guidance and an updated set of plans aimed at revitalizing the network's developer community.
Exemption for betting providers
The main component of the upgrade is EIP-7251, which increases the maximum amount validators can stake from 32 to 2048 ETH.
This change is intended to help staking institutions and infrastructure providers by meeting the needs of validators who stake ETH to keep the chain running. If you want to invest more than 32 ETH in the network, you’ll have to spread your stake across dozens — sometimes hundreds — of individual nodes.
Not only does this make the process difficult and costly, it also results in weeks-long queues for new nodes to join the network.
The increase in the betting cap means that “small operators can directly increase their betting, while
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