Final Pectra Test Before Mainnet—ETH Reacts

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• Ethereum developers face delays in the Pectra upgrade, testing on Hoodi before potential mainnet deployment in late April.  
• Pectra upgrade aims to enhance scalability, security, and user experience with key updates like EIP-7702, EIP-7251, and EIP-7691.

Ethereum developers are preparing for the final test of the Pectra upgrade before its deployment on the mainnet. The anticipated upgrade, which was initially scheduled for March, has encountered multiple delays across various testnets.

These delays have placed pressure on developers, who are now in the final stages of testing the upgrade on a new testnet, Hoodi. The outcome of this final test will determine if the Pectra upgrade is ready for the Ethereum mainnet, which could impact Ethereum’s price.

The Ethereum development team faced hurdles during the Pectra upgrade’s testing phases. Originally set to launch in March, the upgrade first encountered problems when it was deployed on the Holesky testnet on February 24.

The upgrade failed to finalize on this network, prompting developers to troubleshoot the issue. The team then attempted to test the upgrade on the Sepolia testnet on March 5. However, further complications arose as an unknown attacker exploited an “edge case,” resulting in the mining of empty blocks on the network. This led to additional delays.

The Introduction of the Hoodi Testnet

Ethereum developers launched a new testnet named Hoodi to resolve these ongoing issues on March 17. The Pectra upgrade is set to roll out on Hoodi on March 26, with the potential for the mainnet deployment to follow as early as April 25.

While the upgrade addresses scalability, security, and usability improvements, the repeated setbacks have exhausted developers. Ethereum Foundation’s Nixo Rokish explained that the team, particularly those working on the consensus layer, is feeling the pressure. Rokish mentioned that the consensus layer developers, in particular, are feeling the strain, with the execution layer developers also experiencing some exhaustion.

Causes Behind the Testnet Failures

Several technical issues caused the failures of previous testnets. The Holesky testnet, in particular, encountered problems due to insufficient validators on the canonical chain. 

This led to validators overloading their memory as they attempted to keep the state for 90% of validators on a non-canonical chain. Rokish noted that the team had never encountered such a scenario before, contributing to the developers’ significant challenges.

Despite these setbacks, Ethereum developers have addressed the issues, and preparations for the final test on Hoodi are underway. If successful, as per ETHNews, the Pectra upgrade could be activated on the Ethereum mainnet by late April, marking a step toward improving Ethereum’s scalability and overall network performance.

The Pectra upgrade is intended to build on the previous Dencun upgrade, which reduced Layer 2 fees. Pectra aims to improve scalability and security while enhancing the overall user experience for Ethereum.

Sepolia just finalized with a perfect proposal rate https://t.co/THU1zn1znm pic.twitter.com/wayGk0cHpt

— terence (@terencechain) March 5, 2025

Key updates include EIP-7702, which will introduce account abstraction and improve crypto wallet functionality, and EIP-7251, which will raise the maximum validator stake from 32 to 2,048 ETH. Additionally, EIP-7691 will increase the maximum blob count, advancing rollup scalability.

The successful deployment of the Pectra upgrade could have important implications for Ethereum’s price. As Ethereum continues to enhance its scalability and usability, the network could attract more users and developers, potentially boosting ETH’s value.