The highly anticipated Ethereum Pectra MainNet upgrade, originally scheduled for April 2025, has been delayed as developers wait for further testing the results of Hoodi TestNet.
The decision came on March 20th at All Core Developers Consensus Call (ACDC) #153 at Ethereum. This reflects the careful approach of the development team to ensure a smooth and stable upgrade process.
A hoodie test net for determining the timeline of Pectra
During the call, the Ethereum core team reviewed Pectra’s progress.
Instead of checking the dates on the mainnet, they chose to monitor the performance of the upgrade in Hoody, a newly launched testnet designed to assess the stability of the Pectra. This isn’t surprising as Tim Baikou recently hinted at it because it is supported by Ethereum protocols. He noted that he successfully scheduled the Pectra upgrade at least 30 days after Hoodi Forks.
“…Pektra will be successfully scheduled over 30 days after Hoodie Fawks, with infrastructure and client testing pending. Fusaka’s plans will be run in parallel, suggesting a March 24th deadline and EIPS.
Therefore, the delay is not completely surprising. It reflects the developers’ careful approach to ensuring a smooth transition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdttc86jeky
Consensus Layer Meeting 153 for Pectra Upgrade
The main reason for postponing an upgrade is the need for thorough testing. Developers use Hoodi to simulate real conditions and identify potential issues before activating Pectra on the mainnet.
The upgrade will be released on hoodie on March 26th, and developers will observe performance before deciding on a mainnet release.
Another factor affecting the delay is History Expiry, a cleanup process scheduled to be released on May 1st. This change is linked to Ethereum Improvement Proposal 6110 (EIP 6110) and affects the handling of validation device history in Ethereum.
Because Pectra plays an important role in this process, delays also force delays to postpone history satisfaction. Developers are currently rethinking their timeline for implementing this change.
For now, the priority is to ensure Pectra testing at Hoodi, which is better than Sepolia Testnet. Once the testing goes smoothly, developers can move forward to set the startup date for the mainnet. However, you can further expand the timeline if necessary.
“The Sepolia Pectra upgrade was caught because the nodes were not upgraded in time, but it’s a small reminder. Ethereum’s decentralization is as strong as the weakest operator.
At the same time, there is a discussion going on about Fusaka, the next major upgrade of Ethereum. Developers are considering additional improvements to include in future updates. This ensures that Ethereum continues to grow and maintain its leadership in the blockchain space.
Pectra’s delays are temporary, but developers emphasize that thorough testing is essential to avoid unexpected issues.
The Ethereum community needs to wait a little longer, but upgrades remain a top priority. Final decisions regarding the start-up date of the mainnet will be paid in the coming weeks.
