The **Ethereum Pectra Upgrade** is a major hard fork of the Ethereum blockchain, combining updates to both the **execution layer (Prague)** and the **consensus layer (Electra)**. It went live on **May 7, 2025**, following rigorous testing on testnets like Holesky, Sepolia, and Hoodi . Pectra introduces **11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs)** aimed at enhancing scalability, staking efficiency, user experience, and Layer 2 (L2) integration, making it one of Ethereumโs most comprehensive upgrades since **The Merge** in 2022 .
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### **Key Features of the Pectra Upgrade**
1. **Smart Accounts (EIP-7702)**
- Allows **Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs)** to temporarily function like smart contracts during transactions, enabling features like:
- **Gas sponsorship** (apps can pay fees for users).
- **Transaction batching** (multiple actions in one transaction).
- **Alternative authentication** (e.g., passkeys or biometrics) .
2. **Staking Improvements**
- **EIP-7251**: Raises the validator staking cap from **32 ETH to 2,048 ETH**, reducing validator count and improving network efficiency .
- **EIP-7002**: Enables validator exits via the execution layer, simplifying withdrawals for staking pools .
- **EIP-6110**: Processes validator deposits on-chain, cutting activation time from ~9 hours to ~13 minutes .
3. **Layer 2 (L2) Scalability**
- **EIP-7691**: Doubles blob capacity per block (from 3 to 6 target blobs), reducing L2 transaction fees .
- **EIP-7623**: Increases calldata costs to incentivize blob usage, optimizing data storage .
4. **Security & Efficiency**
- **EIP-7549**: Optimizes validator attestations to reduce network congestion .
- **EIP-2537**: Adds BLS cryptographic precompiles for cheaper zero-knowledge proofs and bridges .
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### **Impact on Users and Developers**
- **Users**: No immediate action is required for ETH holders. Wallets will gradually integrate EIP-7702 features like gasless transactions .
- **Developers**: Gain tools for smarter contracts and cheaper L2 data storage .
- **Institutions**: Higher staking limits and faster withdrawals make Ethereum more appealing for institutional capital .
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### **Future Roadmap**
Pectra sets the stage for upcoming upgrades like **Fusaka** (PeerDAS for data availability) and **Verkle Trees** (state efficiency) .