The Ethereum Pectra upgrade, launching on May 7, marks a pivotal step toward improving the blockchain’s scalability, security, and usability. By merging the Prague and Electra upgrade initiatives, it introduces 11 EIPs—notably:
EIP-7702 (Account Abstraction): Allows accounts to behave more like smart contracts, improving flexibility and wallet security.
EIP-7251: Raises the cap on validators, supporting further decentralization.
EIP-7691: Doubles data block (Blob) throughput, lowering Layer 2 transaction costs by enhancing data availability.
Vitalik Buterin’s push for a Bitcoin-inspired, minimalist core protocol design aligns with Ethereum’s longer-term goal of being a resilient base layer, while Layer 2s handle most execution. Technologies like ZK-rollups and Optimistic Rollups are key to this future.
While Pectra’s testnets faced some hiccups, its successful mainnet deployment would be a major step forward in Ethereum's evolution.
Would you like a breakdown of each of the 11 EIPs included in Pectra?