Ethereum advances Pectra upgrade after Hoodi testnet success

Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) developers successfully activated the Pectra upgrade on the Hoodi testnet, marking a critical step toward mainnet deployment.

The March 26 test follows earlier challenges on Holesky and Sepolia networks, where configuration bugs caused instability.

Hoodi, launched March 17, was created to finalise Pectra testing after Holesky lost finality for weeks and Sepolia faced synchronisation issues.

The new testnet forked Pectra and finalised within 30 minutes, demonstrating improved stability.

Pectra introduces key changes, including EIP-7702 for account abstraction, EIP-7251 to raise validator stake limits from 32 to 2,048 ETH, and EIP-7691 to boost rollup scalability via increased blob counts.

Developers aim to test these features thoroughly on Hoodi before mainnet activation.

The upgrade’s timeline hinges on Hoodi’s performance.

If no major issues emerge, Pectra could deploy on Ethereum’s mainnet as early as late April—about 30 days post-test.

However, developers may extend the timeline to May or June for additional testing.

Hoodi permanently replaces Holesky, which will be deprecated later this year.

The testnet’s success reflects Ethereum’s methodical approach to upgrades, prioritising stability over speed.

While Pectra’s mainnet deployment remains pending, its completion would advance Ethereum’s scalability and usability.

Developers continue refining code to ensure seamless integration of new features, balancing innovation with network reliability.

The upgrade’s progress underscores Ethereum’s focus on iterative improvements, addressing both technical limitations and user experience.

Final testing on Hoodi will determine whether Pectra meets the standards for live deployment.

For now, stakeholders await further updates as Ethereum inches closer to implementing Pectra’s enhancements.

The outcome will influence the network’s capacity to handle growing demand for decentralised applications and rollups.

At the time of reporting, the Ethereum (ETH) price was $2,023.18.