The "Pectra" upgrade goes live on the mainnet—raising the validator cap to 2,048 ETH
The "Pectra" upgrade has gone live on the Ethereum mainnet, raising the maximum stake for validators to 2,048 ETH.
The upgrade also enables externally owned accounts to temporarily execute smart contract code, paving the way for new use cases such as stablecoin gas fee payments, subscription-based transfers, and options for recovering original wallets.
The upgrade also includes nine additional improvement proposals focusing on expanding data capacity, facilitating validator onboarding, and enhancing cryptographic efficiency.
At the time of publication, the price of ETH hovered around $1,845, up 3% over 24 hours, as markets digest the update in conjunction with anticipation of the Federal Open Market Committee's decision on interest rates.
As core developers shift their focus to the next major update, "Fusaka," scheduled for late 2025, the smooth launch of the "Pectra" upgrade bolsters Ethereum's momentum after three years of incremental adjustments.