Ethereum Pectra Mainnet Upgrade Delayed—Here’s What’s Next

As developers await further testing results from the Hoodi testnet, the highly anticipated Ethereum Pectra mainnet upgrade, initially slated for April 2025, has been delayed.

This decision came during Ethereum’s All Core Developers Consensus Call (ACDC) #153 on March 20. It reflects the development team’s cautious approach to ensuring a smooth and stable upgrade process.

Hoodi Testnet to Determine Pectra Timeline

During the call, Ethereum’s core team reviewed the progress of Pectra.

Instead of confirming a mainnet date, they opted to monitor the upgrade’s performance on Hoodi, a newly launched testnet designed to assess Pectra’s stability. This is unsurprising, as Ethereum Protocol Support Lead Tim Beiko recently hinted as much. He noted the scheduling of Pectra Upgrade at least 30 days after Hoodi forks successfully.

“…Pectra will be scheduled 30+ days after Hoodi forks successfully, pending infra and client testing. Fusaka planning will run in parallel, with a deadline of March 24 to propose EIPs, and a tentative date of April 10 for a scope freeze,” Beiko explained.

Therefore, the delay is not entirely surprising, reflecting developers’ cautious approach to ensuring a smooth transition.

Ethereum Developers’ Consensus Layer Meeting 153 for Pectra Upgrade

The main reason for postponing the upgrade is the need for thorough testing. Developers use Hoodi to simulate real-world conditions and identify potential issues before activating Pectra on the mainnet.

The upgrade will go live on Hoodi on March 26, with developers observing its performance before deciding on the mainnet release.

Another factor influencing the delay is History Expiry, a planned cleanup process set to go live on May 1. This change, linked to Ethereum Improvement Proposal 6110 (EIP 6110), affects the handling of validator deposit history on Ethereum.

Since Pectra plays a key role in this process, the delay also compels the postponing of History Expiry. Developers are now reconsidering the timeline for implementing this change.

For now, the priority is to ensure a successful Pectra test on Hoodi, which is better than the Sepolia testnet. If testing goes smoothly, developers could move forward to set a mainnet launch date. However, they could extend the timeline further if necessary.

“Sepolia’s Pectra upgrade hit a snag because a node didn’t upgrade in time—sounds trivial, but it’s a reminder: Ethereum’s decentralization is only as strong as its weakest operator. If one forgotten node can delay an upgrade, imagine what happens when real money is on the line,” one user quipped.

At the same time, discussions about Ethereum’s next major upgrade, Fusaka, are underway. Developers are considering additional improvements for inclusion in future updates. This would ensure that Ethereum continues to grow and maintain its leadership in the blockchain space.

Although the Pectra delay is temporary, developers emphasize that thorough testing is essential to avoid unexpected issues.

The Ethereum community will have to wait a little longer, but the upgrade remains a top priority. A final decision on the mainnet launch date is due in the coming weeks.

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