Ethereum Developers Reschedule Pectra Upgrade for May 7th

The Pectra hard fork will be activated in the mainnet of the second-largest cryptocurrency on May 7, as decided by key developers during a recent call. Initial plans had set the update for around April 30.

Pectra comprises a series of enhancements aimed at improving the usability and efficiency of Ethereum. This major upgrade incorporates eleven significant Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that will be implemented simultaneously. One notable feature is the integration of smart contract functionality into wallets, which simplifies their use and recovery.

The implementation of the hard fork on the Sepolia testnet (consensus layer) and the Holesky testnet (execution layer) encountered complications, including disruptions in Sepolia caused by malicious intervention.

Even after the restoration of Holesky’s functionality, it became impossible to verify the upgrade’s effectiveness regarding validator exits. As a result, developers decided to establish a new long-term testnet for completing the hard fork verification process. The testnet, named Hoodi, was launched on March 17, and later that month, the Pectra upgrade was deployed within it.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that in February, Ethereum developers discussed the acceleration of network upgrades. The previous hard fork, Dencun, took place in April 2024.