Ethereum (ETH) developers are set to launch Hoodi, a new, long-life testnet, on March 17th.
The testnet will primarily focus on the validator exit mechanism, one of the ultimate hurdles before Pectra advances. Ethereum’s Sepolia and Holesky Testnets will continue to provide a wider range of testing.
The Pectra Upgrade, which integrates features from Prague and Electra proposals, aims to improve staking operations, enhance execution and consensus layers, and introduce important optimizations for Ethereum Vallitta.
However, this upgrade faces repeated delays due to client preparation issues, sync bugs, and infrastructure concerns.
According to Ethereum Foundation developer Tim Beiko, Pectra’s mainnet activation only progresses when the hoodie confirms the fork and client team’s trust in the stability of the upgrade.
Even in the best case scenario, mainnet activation does not occur until at least 30 days after the hoodie fork.
The Struggle of Pectra
Ethereum developers have dealt with a set of unexpected challenges using Pectra, including validator exit issues, network synchronization, and compatibility between client implementations.
The delay is caused by problems that occur during testnet deployment. For example, Holesky TestNet could not be finalized after a Pectra upgrade, leading to a potential delay in mainnet launch delays as developers investigated the issue.
Similarly, Sepolia TestNet experienced false mining and encouraged developers to extend their testing period to collect more data before proceeding with mainnet activation.
Additionally, some client teams have expressed concern about last-minute changes to the scope of the upgrade, complicating the testing process. The module development structure of Ethereum adds complexity by adding to the complexity, meaning that upgrades must be coordinated with multiple teams working on different executions and consensus clients.
The Ethereum community has expressed a mixed response to the recent delays in Pectra upgrades. While some members are unhappy with the postponement, others appreciate the developer’s careful approach to ensuring network stability.
Despite these set-offs, many community members remain optimistic about the potential benefits of Pectra, including increased flexibility and increased scalability.
Fusaka Upgrade
Pektra remains a priority, but Ethereum developers are also moving forward with plans for Fusaka’s upgrades following Pektra.
Fusaka introduces Peer Data Availability Sampling (Peerdas) to improve data processing by allowing Validators to sample data instead of downloading the full dataset, reducing bandwidth requirements.
It also implements Ethereum Virtual Machine Object Format (EOF) to optimize smart contract execution by enabling code data isolation and versioning, reducing developer costs.
The Ethereum Core team has set a deadline to consider including the March 24th Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIPS). The client team is expected to share scope preferences by March 31, with a provisional scope freeze set set to be set up on April 10.
Ethereum developers continue to be committed to ensuring stable and secure network upgrades. However, multiple delays with Pectra highlight the difficulty of adjusting for large-scale changes as Ethereum infrastructure continues to expand.
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