Pectra Upgrade: Ethereum’s Next Evolution | Q1 2025
Ethereum core developers are preparing for the highly anticipated “Pectra” upgrade, set to launch by the end of the first quarter of 2025. This significant update will introduce the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) Object Format (EOF), incorporating approximately 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). The EOF aims to enhance the EVM code through an opt-in container system, marking a pivotal development in Ethereum’s evolution.
Ethereum’s Major Features in the Pectra Upgrade
– PeerDAS: Introduces a data availability sampling solution leveraging peer-to-peer components within Ethereum for efficient data distribution and availability.
– Account Abstraction Replacement: EIP-3074 will be replaced by a more advanced proposal, EIP-7702, presented by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. EIP-7702 allows Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to act as smart contract wallets during transactions.
Enhancements in the Pectra Upgrade
– Pectra’s architecture comprises the Prague upgrade on the Execution Layer and the Electra upgrade on the Consensus Layer.
– These updates collectively strive to optimize transaction processing and network consensus mechanisms for a more robust and efficient blockchain.
Despite ongoing discussions about the final scope of Pectra, certain proposals, such as the integration of Verkle trees, may be delayed to a future hard fork named Osaka.