Ethereum’s latest major update, Pectra, brings significant changes aimed at making the network faster, more scalable, and easier for both everyday users and blockchain developers. Starting in 2025, we’ll take a closer look at the Pectra update, which will take place in two phases, and its impact on the Ethereum ecosystem.
Pectra Update Background
Ethereum’s Previous Updates
The Ethereum blockchain has undergone several major updates over the years. The Merge, which took place at the end of 2022, enabled the transition from Ethereum’s Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), while in 2023, the Shanghai update allowed the withdrawal of staked ETH.
Then, the Dencun update in 2024 introduced important changes that increased data availability and supported layer 2 solutions. Continuing the updates in 2025, Ethereum has become a more efficient, secure and user-friendly platform. The Pectra update is the next step in this development process.
Pectra Update Development Process
Ethereum’s updates are prepared by a large developer community through long planning and testing processes. The Pectra update is also considered a critical milestone in Ethereum’s development calendar.
In this process, developers and the Ethereum community determined the final changes by voting and testing innovations with the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) mechanism. The important EIPs that come with the Pectra update were selected to align with Ethereum’s long-term vision.
What is EIP?
EIP (Ethereum Improvement Proposal) is a system that defines proposed changes to the Ethereum network. Developers and community members prepare and evaluate EIPs to improve the functioning of Ethereum. Accepted proposals are integrated into Ethereum’s main network over time. With this mechanism, the community and developers vote and discuss innovations. Finally, several important EIPs that are critical to the future of Ethereum are accepted as part of such updates.
Technical Details of the Pectra Update
EIP-7702: Programmable Wallets
EIP-7702 stands out as an innovation that aims to improve the account model on Ethereum. With this update, the functionality of wallets is increased, allowing them to become programmable like smart contracts.
This change will significantly improve the user experience as part of the concept of account abstraction. The update enables functions such as transaction bundling, which means combining multiple transactions into a single transaction, and paying gas fees with alternative tokens. Users will be able to pay transaction fees more flexibly, and wallet security will be increased.
EIP-7251: Increasing Staking Limit
EIP-7251 increases the stake limit for validators on the Ethereum network from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH. This change aims to increase network security and ease the burden on validators.
With this update, stake management for large validators will become more efficient. However, this change may also raise some concerns about centralization.
EIP-6110: On-Chain Processing of Validator Deposits
EIP-6110 moves the processing of validator deposits directly to the consensus layer. This shortens the time it takes for new validators to join the network, while reducing security risks. The update improves the overall security of the network by making validator processes on the Ethereum network more efficient and secure.
EIP-7002: Smart Contract Controlled Staking Withdrawals
EIP-7002 allows smart contracts to directly trigger validator withdrawals. This innovation provides greater flexibility for staking pools and other applications, while automating the withdrawal process. Users gain greater control and security when using third-party staking services.
Other Ethereum Pectra Updates
In addition to the improvements mentioned above, many updates are expected to come with Ethereum Pectra. To briefly review all of these developments, the following EIPs have been included in the Pectra update:
- EIP-2537: Allows Ethereum to perform certain cryptographic operations faster and more efficiently. This is especially important for improved security and scalability.
- EIP-2935: Helps the network make historical data more accessible by saving some information about old blocks.
- EIP-7002: Allows users who stake (lock ETH) to withdraw their funds more easily via smart contracts.
- EIP-7549: Helps the network operate more efficiently by simplifying Ethereum’s transaction verification process.
- EIP-7623: Reduces spam transactions by increasing data transmission costs on Ethereum and ensures the network operates more healthily.
- EIP-7685: Adds new tools that allow developers to more easily interact with Ethereum’s transaction layer.
- EIP-7691: Improves scalability by making big data transactions on the Ethereum network faster and more efficient
- EIP-7840: Optimizes network scheduling so that Ethereum can better manage data transactions.
For more detailed information about EIPs, please visit https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-7600.
Testnet and Implementation Process
Mekong Testnet
Launched in November 2024, the Mekong testnet It was used as the first test phase of the Pectra update. This testnet provided an important environment for testing new features and detecting potential bugs. The developers tested the innovations brought by Pectra in detail on the Mekong testnet.
Sepolia and Holesky Testnets
The next phase of the Pectra update will go live on February 24, 2025 on the Holesky testnet and March 5, 2025 on the Sepolia testnet, and will continue with hard forks in their testnets. During this process, it will be observed how the Ethereum network reacts to major changes, and preparations will be made for the mainnet update by observing errors and making corrections.
Mainnet Transition
Ethereum Pectra is planned to be integrated into the mainnet in April 2025. The mainnet update will be a big step that will directly affect all Ethereum users. Developers and validators will work intensively to ensure the stability and security of the network during this process.
Pectra Update Effects on the Ethereum Ecosystem
Innovations for Developers
Pectra offers new opportunities for developers. Programmable wallets and account abstraction will make decentralized application (dApp) development processes more efficient. In addition, thanks to EIP-7002, smart contracts will be able to manage stake withdrawals, which will provide automation and flexibility for staking platforms. These innovations will help expand the dApp ecosystem and lead to the emergence of user-friendly applications.
Improvements in User Experience
Thanks to EIP-7702, account abstraction will make transactions easier. Lower gas fees, flexible payment methods, and more secure wallets will enable users to use the Ethereum network more comfortably. In addition, with transaction bundling, users will save time and transaction fees by performing multiple transactions at once.
Changes in the Stake Ecosystem
Increasing the stake limit to 2,048 ETH will provide a more efficient structure for validators and encourage large investors. However, this can make it harder for small investors to participate in the network and increase the risk of staking pools becoming more centralized.
With EIP-6110, validator deposits will be moved directly to the consensus layer, speeding up the process of new validators joining the network and increasing security. In addition, with EIP-7002, the ability of smart contracts to manage stake withdrawals will be a major innovation for staking platforms.
These developments aim to provide a faster, more secure, and more flexible experience for users and validators in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Conclusion
Ethereum Pectra introduces significant innovations to improve the efficiency, security, and user experience of the network. Programmable wallets and account abstraction make it easier for users to interact with Ethereum, while increasing the staking limit provides new opportunities for validators. Smart contract-controlled staking withdrawals and on-chain validator deposits will make staking processes more flexible and automated, contributing to the more efficient operation of the ecosystem.
This update, planned to be integrated into the mainnet in April 2025, will be a big step for the future of Ethereum. Developers, investors, and users will directly benefit from the changes coming with Pectra, and the Ethereum ecosystem will become more scalable, secure, and user-friendly.
