Ethereum developers are considering breaking the highly anticipated Pectra upgrade into two phases to enhance the network’s efficiency and scalability. The first phase could be released by early 2025.
“There is widespread consensus that splitting the upgrade could expedite Pectra’s release. Our target should be to launch the first phase as soon as possible early next year,” an Ethereum developer mentioned said during the execution layer meeting on September 12.
Developers are aiming for a February launch, with one stating, “A February release seems feasible with a split Pectra.” Another developer, Danno Ferrin, added, “A split makes sense only if we aim for a Q1 delivery.”
EF Researcher Ansgar Dietrichs noted that delaying the split could be a setback. “If we only manage to deliver the first half by June, it would be considered a failure,” he remarked during the meeting.
The suggestion to split the upgrade is seen as a potentially safer approach since smaller forks generally involve less risk.
The Pectra upgrade integrates two separate upgrades: Prague and Electra. Prague focuses on modifications to the network’s execution layer, while Electra addresses changes to the consensus layer.
Galaxy crypto researcher Christine Kim believes there is a high likelihood of a split due to the complexity of the current Pectra fork and the desire to include additional features. “The scope of Pectra could significantly change if developers decide to split it into two hard forks,” Kim added.
A decision on this matter will be made at the next Ethereum All Core Developers (ACD) call on September 19.
Industry experts are optimistic about the Pectra upgrade. Kim previously noted on June 7 that it is “shaping up to be a major upgrade, potentially the largest in Ethereum’s history.”
