Ethereum Pectra Upgrade Scheduled for Testnets in February and March

Ethereum core developers have announced the Pectra upgrade will go live on the Holesky and Sepolia testnets in February and March. The upgrade is set to launch on Holesky on February 24, 2025, and Sepolia on March 5, 2025. If the testnets are successful, the mainnet is expected to follow in April.

Timeline Details

Tim Beiko, an Ethereum core developer and Ethereum Foundation support lead, shared the timeline details. Holesky is set to fork at slot 3710976, while Sepolia will fork at slot 7118848. The developer noted,

“Assuming Sepolia goes smoothly, we’ll pick the mainnet slot on the March 6 ACD call.”

Ethereum’s All Core Developers are scheduled to meet on March 6, 2025, to finalize a decision on Pectra’s mainnet launch.

Expected Improvements

The Pectra upgrade is expected to introduce eight key improvements to the Ethereum network, with a focus on wallets and validators. The most notable proposals include EIP-7702 and EIP-7251, which aim to enhance security and efficiency for these components.

Some of the expected improvements include:

  • Enhanced security for wallets and validators
  • Improved efficiency for layer 2 transactions
  • Reduced gas fees

Impact on ETH Price

The native token of the Ethereum network, ETH, has struggled in recent months, underperforming Bitcoin and other top altcoins. However, the upcoming Pectra testnets and possible release in April could provide a catalyst for price growth.

ETH has shown resilience in recent weeks, bouncing back to $2,900 after dipping to lows of $2,100. The upcoming upgrade could bring renewed interest to the Ethereum network and its native token.

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