Following the successful rehearsal upgrade on the Hoodi testnet, Ethereum's development team has announced tentative plans to activate the "Pectra Upgrade" on the mainnet by April 30.
Core Ethereum Foundation member Tim Beiko confirmed via social platform X (formerly Twitter) that the upgrade is expected to trigger at Slot 11,599,872, approximately 10 PM UTC+8 on April 30.
Beiko emphasized that infrastructure and application teams will receive advance notice to ensure smooth execution. The upgrade coordination will follow Fredrik’s fork management model for structured implementation.
However, the final timeline remains subject to confirmation in the next developer meeting.
Key Features of the Pectra Upgrade
Pectra combines two major upgrades—"Prague" and "Electra"—into one, featuring eight technical improvements. The most anticipated is EIP-7702, which enhances:
Wallet Flexibility: Optimizes crypto wallet usability via account abstraction, enabling features like:
- Paying gas fees with tokens other than ETH.
- Smart contract functionality for externally owned accounts (EOAs).
Staking Reforms:
- EIP-7251 raises the validator staking cap from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH, streamlining large-scale operations.
Analysts suggest the upgrade could catalyze bullish momentum for ETH, with some price targets reaching $10,000.
👉 Explore how Ethereum upgrades impact crypto markets
FAQ
Q: Will the Pectra upgrade delay other Ethereum improvements?
A: No—development runs in parallel. Pectra’s modular design ensures unrelated updates proceed independently.
Q: How does EIP-7702 benefit decentralized apps (dApps)?
A: By abstracting accounts, dApps can offer gasless transactions or alternative payment tokens, improving UX.
Q: Is the April 30 date final?
A: Pending developer consensus. Follow official channels for updates.