Ethereum Pectra: What to Expect from the Upcoming Ethereum Network Upgrade

Ethereum is continuously evolving to keep up with the growing demands of both users and developers. That’s why one of the most significant upgrades in recent months — Pectra — is just around the corner. This upgrade combines two originally planned improvements, known as “Prague” and “Electra,” into a single package. Rather than introducing fundamental changes to the network’s core, Pectra focuses on enhancing performance, improving efficiency, and elevating the overall user experience.

The Pectra upgrade builds on previous updates — for example, Dencun, which significantly reduced fees for layer 2 solutions in March 2024. In this article, we’ll break down what Pectra is, what changes it introduces, and why it’s worth your attention.

What Is the Pectra Upgrade?

Pectra is an upgrade that will impact both layers of the Ethereum network simultaneously:

• The Execution Layer – where smart contracts and decentralized applications operate.
• The Consensus Layer – which powers the Proof-of-Stake mechanism and validators.

Pectra isn’t just about immediate improvements to Ethereum — it also serves as a stepping stone toward a broader transformation of the network’s infrastructure. It will be implemented as a hard fork, a permanent protocol change that requires the entire community to transition to a new set of rules in a coordinated manner.

Pectra marks another milestone on Ethereum’s development roadmap. It follows major upgrades like The Merge (Ethereum’s 2022 transition to Proof-of-Stake) and the Dencun upgrade (a 2024 hard fork focused on lowering transaction costs). While The Merge was a revolutionary shift in consensus, Pectra represents an evolutionary step — refining existing mechanisms to better prepare the network for continued growth and innovation.

The Pectra upgrade has already undergone extensive testing on Ethereum’s public testnets. For example, in early March 2025, developers successfully activated Pectra on the Sepolia testnet. These testnets (such as Sepolia and Holesky) helped identify and resolve potential issues in a safe environment — in one case, a brief network split occurred on Holesky due to a validator misconfiguration, but it was quickly resolved. These experiences give the community confidence that Pectra’s launch on the mainnet will go smoothly.

Main Changes and Improvements in the Pectra Update

The Pectra update includes a set of technical improvements known as EIPs (Ethereum Improvement Proposals), which together push Ethereum forward in several ways: reducing fees, improving user experience, simplifying staking, and preparing the network for future innovations. In the following section of the blog, we provide an overview of the main enhancements included in this update.

1. Higher Network Throughput and Lower Fees

One of the key changes is the increase in the amount of so-called “blob” data that can be included in a single Ethereum block. These data are primarily used for Layer 2 solutions (so-called rollups), which allow for cheaper and faster transactions outside the main Ethereum network. This improvement doubles the number of blobs that can be processed within a block, enabling Ethereum to process significantly more data and do so much more efficiently.

For the average user, this means cheaper transactions, more efficient trading on decentralized exchanges (DEXs), and smoother operation of decentralized applications. For example, if someone exchanges tokens or makes a payment for an NFT through a Layer 2 solution (L2), after Pectra, it will cost them significantly less in fees.

2. Account Abstraction: Smart Accounts for Everyone

Pectra introduces full support for account abstraction, meaning regular accounts can function as smart contracts. This opens the door to so-called smart accounts.

What does this enable in practice?

• Paying fees in different tokens (not just ETH),
• Performing multiple transactions at once (batching),
• Having someone else pay the fees (sponsored transactions),
• Recovering account access via social recovery in case of private key loss.

For users, this means a simpler and more intuitive experience – there’s no need to always have ETH in your account to pay for fees, and wallets can offer security and convenience features commonly expected in traditional finance.

3. More Advanced and Accessible Staking Mechanisms

Pectra introduces several improvements in the staking area:

• The maximum limit for a single validator node is increased from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH. This allows for more efficient use of larger deposits without the need to split funds across dozens of validators.
• The time required to activate a new validator is reduced – so when someone stakes ETH, they will join the network faster.
• Withdrawing staked ETH will be easier – a validator will be able to initiate a withdrawal through a standard transaction on the mainnet, which reduces the technical complexity of managing deposits.

These changes are aimed at lowering the barriers to entry for staking and encouraging more users to participate in securing the network.

Deployment Timeline

Every major Ethereum update is the result of long-term planning, testing, and patient collaboration among developers worldwide. Pectra is no exception – its deployment is divided into several key stages to ensure everything goes smoothly and without unexpected downtimes.

At the end of 2024, the contours of the update began to take shape. Developers agreed to combine two separate updates – Prague and Electra – into one package. During this period, technical details were fine-tuned, individual proposals were tested, and development teams began working on their implementation into node software.

In February 2025, a major milestone was reached – the official presentation of the final version of Pectra. This meant that all developers, validators, and node operators received a clear list of changes they needed to prepare for. Public tests were immediately launched.

From February to March 2025, Pectra ran on testnets such as Holesky and Sepolia. Here, the new code’s behavior in a simulated environment was verified – developers monitored performance, searched for bugs, and adjusted configurations. Testnets have previously helped uncover issues that could have caused problems on the live network. For Pectra, the tests were successful, which opened the door to setting a concrete deployment date.

In April 2025, the decision was made: Pectra would be launched on the mainnet on May 7. From this moment, the final preparation phase began – staking pools, cryptocurrency exchanges, and infrastructure providers started updating their software to be ready for the big day.

Mainnet Deployment – May 7, 2025

May 7, 2025, will be the day when Ethereum takes another step forward. Suppose everything goes according to plan (as expected). In that case, the new version of the network will be launched without interruption, and users will start noticing the changes – whether in the form of lower fees or improved wallet features. For the average user, no action will be required – everything will happen in the background. What matters is that the services you use (such as exchanges or wallets) are prepared. However, most major players in the market are already handling this automatically.

The end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026 will bring the second phase of Pectra, which will focus on more advanced technologies like Verkle trees. These are key for so-called stateless nodes – nodes that will be able to validate transactions without the need to store the entire state of the network. This change could significantly reduce the technical requirements for operating nodes, thus opening Ethereum even further to decentralization.

Expected Benefits of Pectra

Cheaper Transactions for Everyone

One of the main goals of Pectra is to reduce fees, particularly for second-layer solutions (so-called rollups). By increasing the data capacity Ethereum can process in a single block, the pressure on space decreases – and so do the costs. Regular users who send tokens, trade on decentralized exchanges, or play blockchain-based games should experience significantly lower expenses. This is crucial, especially if we want Ethereum to become more accessible to a wider audience.

Finally, Simpler Wallets

With the concept of “smart accounts,” Ethereum will offer much higher comfort. Imagine downloading a wallet, sending only USDC to it, and being able to instantly pay a transaction – without needing to hold ETH for fees. Or setting up a trusted friend in your wallet who can help you restore access if you lose your keys. Or having the application you’re using pay for your transaction. These aren’t sci-fi ideas – with Pectra, they will be a standard part of the user experience.

More Options for Stakers and Validators

Changes in staking will allow for more efficient use of larger deposits (for example, increasing the upper limit per validator from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH) and will shorten the waiting time for activating new validators. The entire process of withdrawing staked ETH will also be simplified. For stakers, this means less bureaucracy, lower costs, and greater flexibility. For the network as a whole, this is good news – the more people involved in validation, the safer and more stable the entire infrastructure will be.

Preparing for the Future

Although some technical changes (such as BLS signature support or more efficient zero-knowledge proof verification) might not seem like something the average user would notice immediately, they are incredibly important for future development. These innovations will allow Ethereum to stay competitive in a world where transaction volumes are expected to grow, different blockchains will be interconnected, and user privacy will be prioritized.

Potential Risks and Challenges

While Pectra brings many benefits to Ethereum, as with any major update, there are risks associated with change.

Technical Bugs and Network Stability

When you change the fundamental rules of a system used by millions daily and upon which vast amounts of funds rely, even a small mistake can have major consequences. That’s why so much emphasis is placed on testing on testnets – but even then, we can never fully eliminate the possibility that an unforeseen bug might emerge after deployment. The biggest risk? Outdated nodes that remain on the old network version may cause temporary discrepancies or outages if they don’t join the new consensus.

Staking Centralization

One of the most debated changes in Pectra is the increase in the maximum deposit per validator from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH. While this is a practical step for large players such as exchanges or institutional validators, some community members warn that it could encourage further centralization – concentrating power in the hands of a smaller number of large entities. If Ethereum wants to remain a decentralized network, it will need to find a balance – for example, by supporting technologies like DVT (Distributed Validator Technology), which allow for spreading validator responsibilities across multiple independent operators.

Unforeseen Consequences

As with any innovation, not everything can be predicted in advance. Some changes may have side effects that only become apparent after prolonged use – for example, new smart account features may bring new vulnerabilities or misuse opportunities. However, Ethereum has the advantage of an active and responsive community that has proven itself time and again – when a problem arises, it is usually quickly identified and addressed in future updates.

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