Ethereum developers agreed to adopt a multi-phase approach to deploying the anticipated 'Pectra' upgrade, during the Consensus Layer Meeting on September 19.
The decision comes after growing concerns about the complexity of delivering the upgrade in a single release, which increases the risk of technical issues and software bugs. The multi-phase approach will ensure a smoother rollout and reduce the risk of bugs or disruptions to the network’s day-to-day operations.
Pectra was originally intended to be Ethereum 's most ambitious Hard Fork , but will now focus on delivering key improvements in the first phase, while allowing developers more time to implement additional features in the second phase.
Phase 1
The first phase of the Pectra upgrade, scheduled to launch in early 2025, will include eight EIP. Among these is EIP-7702, which aims to improve the user experience for wallets.
Other key changes will focus on improving Ethereum network performance and the user interface, allowing for a more targeted rollout. This narrower scope ensures the first phase will be manageable and minimizes potential delays.
The developers have carefully selected these improvements to address important areas of the Ethereum ecosystem, while also creating space for further improvements in phase 2.
Phase 2
Phase two, currently under development, will introduce more ambitious upgrades to Ethereum's infrastructure.
This could include updates to the Ethereum Arm Virtual Machine ( EVM ) and the introduction of the PeerDAS feature, designed to improve sampling of available data. PeerDAS is expected to play a key Vai in supporting Layer-2 blockchains , which rely on Ethereum for increased usability and functionality.
As developers continue to refine the scope of phase two, the multi-phase approach will allow them to focus on delivering the most important changes first, while ensuring more complex updates receive the attention and testing they need.
Chia the Pectra deployment is expected to help maintain Ethereum's pace of innovation without compromising network stability.
