Thomas Daniels
Ethereum developers are contemplating splitting the much-anticipated Pectra upgrade, aimed at enhancing network scalability and efficiency, into two phases. The first phase is tentatively scheduled for early 2025, with February as the primary target date for release.
“There is broad consensus that if we split the Pectra upgrade, the goal is to ship Pectra One as soon as possible, ideally by early next year,” an Ethereum developer stated during the September 12 execution layer meeting.
Developers Target February 2025
Several developers indicated that a February deadline feels achievable if the upgrade is divided into two. “February seems realistic with a split Pectra,” one developer remarked. Another, Danno Ferrin, noted, “Splitting only makes sense if we’re aiming for Q1 delivery.”
Ethereum Foundation (EF) researcher Ansgar Dietrichs stressed the importance of timely execution, cautioning that releasing the first part of the upgrade as late as June 2025 would be considered a “failure.”
Split to Minimize Risk
The discussion pointed out that dividing the upgrade could mitigate risks, as smaller forks tend to be less prone to disruptions. Pectra consists of two critical components: the Prague upgrade, focusing on changes to Ethereum’s execution layer, and the Electra upgrade, which targets the consensus layer.
Galaxy Digital crypto researcher Christine Kim suggested that a split appears increasingly likely due to the complexity of the full Pectra upgrade and developers’ desire to further expand its scope. “The upgrade’s scope could shift significantly if developers opt for two separate hard forks,” Kim noted.
The final decision on whether to split Pectra will be made during the Ethereum All Core Developers (ACD) call on September 19.
Industry Optimism for Pectra
The crypto community remains optimistic about the impact of Pectra. In June 2023, Kim called it “potentially the largest upgrade in Ethereum’s history,” while Ethereum educator Sassal shared similar views with his 254,500 X followers.
In April 2024, Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 3074 was approved for inclusion in the upgrade. This proposal allows standard externally owned accounts (EOAs), like MetaMask wallets, to function similarly to smart contracts, enabling features like transaction bundling and sponsored transactions.
