Ethereum developers are currently deliberating a significant change to the highly anticipated Pectra upgrade, which promises to boost the network’s efficiency and scalability. The proposed change involves dividing the upgrade into two separate phases, with the initial phase potentially launching by early 2025.
Proposed Split of the Pectra Upgrade
During Ethereum’s execution layer meeting on September 12, a developer commented, “There is broad agreement that if we split, the idea is that we want to ship Pectra one quicker, or as quickly as possible; early next year should be our target.” The suggestion to split the upgrade has been met with varying opinions within the developer community.
Developers Eye February Deadline
Another developer noted, “Feb feels realistic with a split Pectra,” indicating that a February deadline could be achievable with the proposed split. Developer Danno Ferrin added, “Splitting the fork only makes sense if we are talking Q1 delivery.” Meanwhile, Ethereum Foundation researcher Ansgar Dietrichs expressed concerns, stating that “a split where we still only ship the first half in say June would be a failure.”
The sentiment among some developers is that splitting the upgrade into two phases might reduce risk. Smaller forks are generally perceived as less risky compared to more extensive updates.
Components of the Pectra Upgrade
The Pectra upgrade integrates two distinct upgrades: the Prague upgrade and the Electra upgrade. The Prague upgrade focuses on modifications to the network’s execution layer, while the Electra upgrade targets the consensus layer.
Industry Insights and Opinions
Galaxy crypto researcher Christine Kim has suggested that the likelihood of splitting the Pectra upgrade is “high due to the complexity of the current Pectra fork and the desire to add still more to the upgrade.” Kim further noted, “The scope of the Pectra upgrade could change drastically if devs decide to split it across two hard forks.”
The final decision regarding the split will be made during the next Ethereum All Core Developers (ACD) call scheduled for September 19.
Industry Optimism for Pectra Upgrade
Despite the ongoing discussions, there is considerable optimism about the Pectra upgrade within the industry. On June 7, Kim described the upgrade as “shaping up to be a big upgrade, possibly the largest in Ethereum’s history.” Ethereum educator Sassal echoed this sentiment, describing Pectra as “the next Ethereum network upgrade” and the “biggest in Ethereum’s history,” as shared with his 254,500 X followers.
Impact of EIP-3074
In April 2024, Cointelegraph reported that Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 3074 was approved for inclusion in the upcoming upgrade. This proposal is notable for enabling regular crypto wallets to function like smart contracts. Key functions of EIP-3074 include:
- Transaction bundling, allowing users to sign once for multiple transactions.
- Sponsored transactions, enabling a wallet to delegate funds for another user’s transactions.
This proposal is similar to the account abstraction introduced in ERC-4337, which aims to streamline wallet interactions and enhance overall usability.
Conclusion
The decision to split the Pectra upgrade is crucial for Ethereum’s development roadmap. As developers continue to debate and refine the approach, the broader Ethereum community and industry watchers eagerly await further updates. The outcome of the upcoming ACD call will likely provide more clarity on how the Pectra upgrade will unfold and its impact on the Ethereum network.
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