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Ethereum developers have decided to split the upcoming hard fork, Pectra, into two distinct packages. This strategic move aims to make the substantial upgrade more manageable and to mitigate the risk of encountering bugs in the code.
The decision to divide the upgrade had been anticipated, as developers had previously noted that Pectra was becoming overly ambitious for a single rollout. By breaking it into smaller parts, they hope to streamline the process and enhance overall stability.
Pectra is poised to be Ethereum’s largest hard fork to date, a significant milestone as hard forks are essential for implementing major software upgrades on the blockchain. With this new approach, developers can concentrate on a more focused scope for each package. The timeline for the first part of the Pectra upgrade remains on track for early 2025, maintaining the original schedule despite the split.
The core Ethereum developers have confirmed that the first package of the upcoming hard fork, Pectra, will incorporate eight Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). Notably, EIP-7702, which aims to enhance wallet user experience, was famously drafted by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin in just 22 minutes.
As for the second package, its content is still subject to change in the coming months. Currently, it may include proposals focused on modifications to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), known as EOF, and introduce a new feature called PeerDAS, which aims to enhance data availability sampling, benefiting layer-2 blockchains.
Developers recognize that the scope of these upgrades may evolve, making it imprudent to finalize the details at this stage. Ethereum Foundation researcher Alex Stokes, who led the discussion, stated, “There seems to be agreements to split current Pectra somehow. And then downstream, we can figure out what comes next.” He emphasized the importance of maintaining a narrow focus for the first package to ensure a swift rollout of the second fork, saying, “I would lean towards keeping the scope very small, as that maximizes our chances of shipping the second fork quickly in relation to the first one.”
