Daniel Walker
Ethereum has successfully deployed the Pectra upgrade on its mainnet, marking the blockchain’s most significant update since the 2022 Merge. Activated at epoch 364032, the long-anticipated upgrade went live around 6:05 a.m. ET, introducing wide-ranging improvements across the Ethereum ecosystem.
With 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) bundled into one release, Pectra is now Ethereum’s largest upgrade by proposal count. The update enhances staking operations, streamlines validator tasks, boosts Layer 2 scalability, and improves overall user interaction with the network.
The rollout followed rigorous testing on testnets such as Holesky, Sepolia, and Hoodi. Despite facing initial validator misconfiguration issues, the Hoodi deployment in March 2025 helped finalize a stable release path for Pectra.
Building on Dencun: Paving the Road to Fusaka
Pectra continues the work started by the Dencun upgrade in March 2024, which introduced proto-danksharding (EIP-4844). This new upgrade not only resolves existing inefficiencies but also lays the groundwork for future advancements, including the Fusaka upgrade, which will bring Verkle Trees and PeerDAS to further scale the Ethereum network.
Key EIPs in the Pectra Upgrade
EIP-7702: Smart Contract Logic in Wallets with Account Abstraction
Co-authored by Vitalik Buterin, this proposal allows Ethereum wallets to temporarily act as smart contracts. That means users could group actions—like token approvals and swaps—into a single transaction, cutting gas fees and reducing friction.
EIP-7702 also introduces the possibility of gasless transactions, where third-party dApps cover transaction costs, paving the way for freemium blockchain applications. Long-term, this feature may enable social recovery tools, helping users recover wallets using trusted contacts.
EIP-7251: Increasing Validator Balance Limits
Pectra raises the maximum effective validator balance from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH. This change allows large stakers to consolidate their validators, reducing bandwidth and maintenance overhead. It simplifies operations for both solo validators and institutional staking services.
However, some experts have warned that this update may increase centralization risk, as wealthier entities gain greater influence over the network.
EIP-7691: Doubling Data Availability for Layer 2 Rollups
Expanding on EIP-4844, this proposal doubles the number of blobs per block, significantly improving Layer 2 efficiency. By increasing the target blob count to 6 and the maximum to 9, rollups like Optimism and Arbitrum benefit from reduced fees and greater scalability.
This could make Layer 2 dApps cheaper and faster, accelerating adoption and improving user experience across Ethereum’s scaling ecosystem.
EIP-7002: Execution Layer-Based Validator Withdrawals
Previously, validator exits relied on hot keys, posing a security risk. With EIP-7002, withdrawals can now be initiated from the execution layer, offering greater control and minimizing exposure to attacks on consensus-layer keys.
This marks a major security enhancement for Ethereum’s proof-of-stake architecture and simplifies validator management.
EIP-2935: On-Chain Historical Block Hashes
This proposal stores recent block hashes directly in Ethereum’s state, making them accessible via smart contracts. DApps and oracles can now securely access historical data without external sources, enabling trustless interoperability and improved cross-chain communication.
EIP-6110: Speeding Up Validator Onboarding
Onboarding new validators used to take around 12 hours. With EIP-6110, Ethereum now processes deposits through the execution layer, reducing wait times to about 13 minutes. This streamlines the staking process and makes it easier for new validators to enter the network.
Final Thoughts: Ethereum’s Future Looks Brighter with Pectra
With Pectra live, Ethereum enters a new phase of technical maturity and usability. This landmark upgrade not only improves core functionality but also sets the stage for future innovations like Fusaka, which will take scalability and performance even further.
