- Ethereum developers confirmed the Pectra upgrade launch on Holesky and Sepolia testnets before the mainnet activation in April.
- The Pectra Devnet 6 performed well with high validator participation, ensuring a smooth transition for the upgrade.
- Tim Beiko will coordinate with teams to deploy Pectra system contracts on the testnets before the mainnet rollout.
Ethereum developers have confirmed the release schedule for the Pectra upgrade, set to go live on testnets before mainnet activation. The Holesky testnet will receive the upgrade on February 24, followed by the Sepolia testnet on March 5. If testing proceeds without issues, the ETH mainnet will undergo the upgrade around April 8.
Pectra Testnet Rollout and Deployment Plans
ETH developers finalized Pectra’s deployment strategy during the All Core Developers Execution (ACDE) Call 205 on February 13. They agreed to launch the upgrade on Holesky first, followed by Sepolia, before moving to the mainnet. Tim Beiko from the Ethereum Foundation (EF) will coordinate with teams to find volunteers to deploy Pectra system contracts.
Developers reported that Pectra Devnet 6 is running smoothly, with high validator participation rates confirming the upgrade’s stability. Additionally, the Ephemery testnet activated Pectra shortly after the ACDE call, enabling further testing. Beiko encouraged EIP authors to move their proposals to the final call phase on GitHub before the mainnet release.
Community feedback emphasized accelerating upgrade cycles to maintain Ethereum’s competitiveness. In response, Beiko suggested finalizing each upgrade’s scope as soon as its predecessor launches. This approach aims to minimize delays and streamline Ethereum’s development process.
Future Ethereum Forks and Upgrade Scope Debates
Developers discussed the next upgrade after Pectra, known as Fusaka, and debated its timeline. Beiko proposed finalizing Fusaka’s scope by March 13, with client teams submitting preferences by March 27. The final upgrade scope will be determined by April 10.
The Geth team opposed the accelerated timeline, arguing it was too early to confirm Fusaka’s details. Developer Lightclient highlighted that unforeseen priorities might arise, making premature decisions problematic. He also warned that Ethereum’s six-month upgrade cycle often extends to eight months or longer.
A key debate centered on including Ethereum Object Format (EOF) in Fusaka. While some developers supported EOF’s addition, others questioned its necessity. Concerns arose regarding its compatibility with Ethereum’s evolving zero-knowledge rollup technology.
Concerns Over EELS Testing Requirements
During the ACDE call, ETH developers discussed a proposal to mandate EELS (Ethereum Execution Layer Specifications) for future EIPs. EF Testing Engineer Mario Vega suggested standardizing testing through EELS and EEST (Ethereum Execution Specification Test cases) would improve workflow. However, several developers opposed the idea, citing potential delays.
Marius van der Wijden argued that mandatory EELS would give maintainers too much control over EIP approvals. To prevent bottlenecks, he suggested allowing unmerged pull requests for EELS implementations. Justin Florentine from ETH client Besu proposed creating an alternative scripting language to assess EIP inclusion without relying on EELS.
Despite disagreements, developers remain focused on ensuring smooth testnet rollouts and mainnet stability. Pectra’s deployment progress remains on track, with developers closely monitoring validator performance.