Ethereum’s Evolution: Pectra Upgrade

A major revolution in Ethereum staking: the 2048 ETH era is here!

Original: What is Pectra

Author: Consensys

Compiled by Nicky, Foresight News

Cover: Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

Ethereum's Pectra upgrade will be carried out at 18:05 Beijing time today. This is the first upgrade since the Cancun upgrade in March last year. It includes a 64-fold increase in the maximum stake amount of validators to 2048 ETH (EIP-7251). Can whale assets reshape the Ethereum network landscape? At the same time, the executive layer directly opens the validator's autonomous exit authority (EIP-7002). Can the exit mechanism take over the life cycle of Ethereum?

What is Pectra

Since its inception, Ethereum's goal has been to create a new decentralized trust foundation to build a new system for global settlement. To achieve this goal, the Ethereum developer community has continuously evolved the protocol and has implemented about 15 updates to the core technology. The 16th update, Pectra, is another major upgrade of the Ethereum network and is scheduled to be officially launched on May 7, 2025.

Pectra combines two synergistic updates: the Prague execution layer hard fork and the Electra consensus layer upgrade. Pectra is the first upgrade since the Dencun upgrade in March 2024, and will be the most feature-rich upgrade to Ethereum to date, with 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) planned to be included. Together, these EIPs will deliver key features that will drive Ethereum forward: a major update to the core user experience through the implementation of smart accounts and delegation features; an upgrade to the staking feature to make it easier for institutions and individual investors to secure the network; and a significant improvement in integration with the Layer 2 network (L2), which is expected to double the efficiency of the network. Overall, Pectra is a major and exciting update that will change the face of Web3.

Behind the scenes of the technology and EIPs, these upgrades will make Ethereum faster, easier to use, and more efficient. The network's core user interface, the wallet, will see the most significant improvement in the network's history with the introduction of Smart Accounts. Smart Accounts allow end-user accounts to act like smart contracts, essentially making each wallet a programmable platform that meets the needs of the user. The staking function will undergo a major enterprise-level update, with a 64x increase in funding limits and the introduction of new features such as incremental staking balances. This will make it easier for institutions to set up and manage their validator nodes while significantly reducing unnecessary network overhead. For the second layer network (L2), the space available for data blocks (blobs) will double, which will double its performance in the initial stage, thereby reducing costs and speeding up transactions.

“Pectra marks a new phase for Ethereum and proves that the protocol is constantly evolving!” — said Mehdi AOUADI, Senior Protocol Engineer at Consensys.

Ethereum continues to evolve through hard forks

Ethereum is one of the most active networks in the world: it has a large and dedicated community of developers working to advance its development. As a result, Ethereum is constantly evolving to improve scalability, security, and user-friendliness. These improvements are implemented via hard forks, which are network-wide protocol upgrades that adjust how Ethereum works. Hard forks are not backwards compatible, meaning that all node operators must update their software to stay in sync with the network. These upgrades can affect the execution layer (the layer that handles transactions and smart contracts), the consensus layer (the layer responsible for block validation and staking), or both.

In the past two years, Ethereum has completed three major hard forks: The Merge, Shanghai/Capella, and Dencun. Each hard fork has played a key role in Ethereum's long-term roadmap. The Merge completed the transition to Proof of Stake (PoS), significantly reducing energy consumption. Shanghai/Capella unlocked the validator withdrawal function and consolidated the staking mechanism. Cancun introduced blob transactions, significantly reduced rollup costs, and opened up Ethereum's rollup-centric expansion strategy.

Ethereum network upgrades are implemented through Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs): these are open source project proposals that are proposed, collaborated on, and ultimately implemented by the community. The Pectra upgrade includes a record number of EIPs, all of which focus on three core areas: user experience (UX), staking, and layer 2 (L2).

“Upgrades like Pectra, which may appear to be technical updates on the surface, are actually making Ethereum more usable, more scalable, and more user-friendly.” — Tian Lim, Director of Technical Project Management at Consensys

Ethereum's future roadmap for global financial settlement

These upgrades are in line with Ethereum’s larger vision, which is structured around six roadmap phases: The Merge, The Surge, The Scourge, The Verge, The Purge, and The Splurge. These phases focus on sustainability, scalability, censorship resistance, state optimization, and overall perfection. As Ethereum progresses through these phases, each hard fork will be an important milestone in moving the protocol toward its goals.

At the heart of this roadmap is a grand and increasingly achievable ambition: to make Ethereum the global financial settlement layer. To create a platform that can securely and efficiently process all types of transactions, whether micropayments, token transfers, cross-chain transactions, decentralized lending, and staking for institutions, all on-chain and seamlessly connected around the world. To achieve this goal, Ethereum must continue to improve performance and reduce costs while supporting a seamless user experience without compromising decentralization.

Today, Ethereum is preparing for its next major upgrade, Pectra, which will build on the foundation laid by previous hard forks. Next, let’s take a deeper look at all the Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) planned for Pectra.

Ethereum roadmap progress

• The Merge: Completed (September 2022)

Transition from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake. This shift brings significant energy efficiency improvements and lays the foundation for staking functionality.

• The Surge: In progress (Cancun upgrade completed, Pectra upgrade in progress)

Focus: Scalability through rollups and data availability.

Key upgrades: Proto-danksharding (EIP-4844), blob transactions (introduced in Cancun), increased block capacity (Pectra upgrade plan)

• The Scourge

Focus: Minimize Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) and enhance censorship resistance. Work is currently underway on Proposer-Builder Separation (PBS) and inclusive fairness.

• The Verge

Focus: Improve state efficiency through Verkle trees. This will reduce storage requirements and improve node performance.

• The Purge

Focus: Simplify the protocol and clean up technical debt. Remove historical data burden and reduce node requirements.

• The Splurge

Focus: Finishing touches and other improvements. Including user experience fixes, cleanup, and feature optimization.

Pectra Upgrade Content

Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) planned for inclusion

EIP-7702

Setting up Externally Owned Account (EOA) account codes

Enables Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to act like smart contract accounts for the duration of a single transaction, unlocking capabilities like sponsorship and delegation without having to migrate to smart contract accounts (SCAs).

The proposal introduces the ability to allow externally owned accounts to temporarily behave like smart contracts by attaching executable code to individual transactions.

Without this proposal, externally owned accounts will remain in a rigid state and must migrate to full smart contract accounts if they want to use features such as transaction batching, gas sponsorship, or smart recovery. This EIP cleverly solves this problem by allowing externally owned accounts to temporarily adopt custom validation logic only for related transactions. It is very user-friendly and a major change in the wallet user experience, effectively bridging the gap between externally owned accounts and account abstraction.

EIP-7251

Increase the maximum effective balance

Increase the validator's staking limit from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH, reduce the number of validators, and improve network efficiency.

The proposal increases the maximum effective balance of each validator from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH. The current 32 ETH cap has led to a surge in the number of validators, which has put pressure on the network and increased the hardware requirements for node operators.

Without this upgrade, Ethereum's validator set will continue to grow uncontrollably. By allowing each validator to stake a higher amount, this EIP reduces the number of validators, simplifies the block generation and finality process, and improves the overall performance of the network. Users may not notice this change immediately, but it is crucial for the sustainable development of Ethereum under large-scale applications.

EIP-7002

The execution layer can trigger the exit mechanism

Allowing validators to exit the network through the execution layer enables a smarter, programmable staking workflow.

The proposal enables validators to trigger the process of exiting the network by themselves through the execution layer, rather than being limited to relying solely on the consensus layer mechanism. Previously, validators could only rely on the consensus layer and could not achieve automated or contract-driven exit operations.

Without this flexibility, advanced use cases such as smart contract-based staking managers or automated strategies would be difficult to build. This EIP increases programmability and composability by allowing the execution layer to initiate validator exit operations. While this is not a feature directly facing end users, it increases the flexibility of staking and lays the foundation for more advanced validator services.

EIP-6110

On-chain supply validator deposit

Transfer the validator deposit to the execution layer to simplify and make the staking participation process transparent.

The validator participation process is optimized by directly supplying the validator deposit on-chain through the execution layer. Previously, the deposit had to be relayed through the consensus layer, adding unnecessary complexity and possibly causing delays.

Without this EIP, Ethereum would rely on implicit signaling and messaging between layers, which is not transparent and inefficient. Now that validator deposits are embedded in the execution layer, the participation process has become more transparent and predictable. Ordinary users may not directly perceive this change, but it enhances the robustness of the staking ecosystem and supports a clearer division of responsibilities between the execution layer and the consensus layer.

EIP-7691

Improved Blob throughput

Increase the number of data blocks that can be accommodated in each block to enhance data availability and reduce transaction costs on the second layer network (L2).

The proposal raises Ethereum’s target number of blocks per block from 3 to 6, and the maximum number from 6 to 9, making more available space for second-layer rollup submissions. Under the current limit introduced by Dencun (EIP-4844), Ethereum allows a maximum of 6 blocks per block, with a target of 3. Petra raises this cap to 9 and adjusts the network’s incentive target to 6, effectively doubling the expected block throughput.

Without this adjustment, block space would become a bottleneck as rollup demand grows. This change has a direct impact on users, helping to reduce fees on the second layer network and improve scalability.

EIP-7840

Add a blob scheduling mechanism to the execution layer configuration file

Introduce standardized data block (Bolb) scheduling rules in the execution layer configuration file to support future expansion upgrades.

Currently, there is no unified way for clients to handle scheduled data block changes. This proposal will incorporate standardized data block scheduling rules into the execution layer configuration file to help Ethereum prepare for future upgrades to extended data block capabilities. Without the implementation of this EIP, it will be confusing and error-prone to coordinate data block capacity upgrades. This proposal adds a shared structure for managing the evolution of data blocks at each fork stage, making future expansion work smoother. Although ordinary users will not see this change directly, it is an important infrastructure for Ethereum's long-term expansion roadmap.

EIP-7623

Increase calldata charges

Increase the cost of calling data to incentivize the use of data blocks (blobs) for rollup data and improve network scalability.

The proposal increases the fee for call data (i.e., unstructured data attached to transactions) in order to encourage aggregation schemes to adopt data blocks introduced by EIP-4844 instead of call data storage data.

Without this change, Layer 2 solutions like Optimism and Arbitrum may continue to use call data to publish data. Call data is more expensive to use and less efficient than blocks. This EIP helps guide users away from using call data and towards Ethereum’s new block infrastructure, thereby increasing network scalability and reducing costs. While regular users will not see this change directly, they will indirectly benefit from lower Layer 2 network fees, the specific implementation mechanisms of which are mostly invisible to users.

EIP-7685

Generic Execution Layer Request Format

Create a standardized communication format from the execution layer to the consensus layer to improve compatibility for future upgrades.

This proposal provides a better foundation for communication between the execution layer and the consensus layer by defining a common request format.

Currently, there are limited and unstandardized ways for the execution layer to communicate with the consensus layer. Without this proposal, future upgrades that rely on more robust cross-layer data sharing will be difficult to implement. EIP-7685 does not directly impact users, but it is a key enabler for upgrades such as Verkle trees and further integration of the execution layer with the consensus layer in the future.

EIP-7549

Move committee index out of attestation structure

Optimize consensus data structure to reduce bandwidth usage and improve performance.

The proposal improves consensus efficiency by moving the committee index out of the proof structure, which currently carries extra detachable data, making it too large and difficult to optimize.

Without this adjustment, Ethereum consensus messages will continue to contain redundant information, increasing bandwidth and storage requirements. This EIP refactors the proof structure to be more streamlined. Although this change is deep inside the protocol and will not directly affect end users, it will help improve the performance of the consensus layer and enhance its future adaptability.

EIP-2935

Save historical block hashes in the blockchain state

Expanded access to old block hashes to support more advanced on-chain applications and trustless random number generation mechanisms.

Currently, Ethereum smart contracts can only access the hashes of the last 256 blocks, which limits the development of decentralized applications that rely on older but still recent on-chain data. This proposal solves this limitation by storing recent historical block hashes directly in the blockchain state.

Without the implementation of this EIP, developers will have difficulty building applications based on older on-chain data. By extending the storage time of hash values, this proposal opens up new possibilities for application scenarios such as random number generation, proof systems, and trustless oracles. Although most users will not directly perceive this change, this improvement will be of significant benefit to developers who develop complex on-chain logic.

EIP-2537

BLS12 - 381 Curve Operation Precompilation

Add a high-efficiency precompiled contract for BLS signature verification, supporting staking and cross-chain application scenarios.

The proposal introduces a precompiled contract for BLS12-381 curve operations, solving the problem of efficiently verifying BLS (Boneh–Lynn–Shacham) signatures on the chain. Without this proposal, the gas consumption of cryptographic operations (especially those used in staking and cross-chain bridges) is too high and lacks feasibility in practical applications.

This EIP adds a native precompiled contract that significantly reduces the gas cost of these verification operations. While end users will not interact with it directly, it enhances Ethereum's cryptographic infrastructure and provides support for future interoperability and scalability features.

“EIP-7702 takes the user experience of wallets to a new level. This is an important step in bringing blockchain technology to the masses.” — Daniel Lehrner, Senior Blockchain Protocol Engineer at Consensys

Promoting Web3 user experience upgrades with EIP-7702: Setting up externally owned account (EOA) account code

Upgrading the core user experience is the most critical step in driving mainstream adoption of Web3. The move to Smart Accounts marks a fundamental change in the way the network operates. Previously, all programmable functionality came from smart contracts that users interacted with, but now users can use their own programmable wallets to stand on the same starting line as professional developers in this field. The potential of Smart Accounts is immeasurable, and it opens up a whole new world for developers and innovators to develop.

EIP-7702 allows externally owned accounts (EOAs) to temporarily function as smart contract accounts by adding a contract_code field in a single transaction. This allows users to use advanced features such as transaction batching, gas sponsorship, and smart verification logic without deploying separate contracts. Unlike EIP-4337, which relies on external infrastructure such as bundlers and paymasters, EIP-7702 is directly integrated into the Ethereum core protocol. This integration not only lowers the adoption barrier, but also improves compatibility, making it easier for ordinary users to use smart account features.

For MetaMask users, this means that existing accounts can now use smart account features. For example, with MetaMask’s Delegation Toolkit, users can authorize wallet permissions. Previously, these features were only available to smart contract accounts.

“Now, validators can have a maximum effective balance of 2048 ETH. And if users want to withdraw part of their effective balance, they can do so with the help of EIP-7002 messages.” — Lucas Saldanha, Lead Protocol Engineer at Consensys

Unlocking institutional staking with EIP-7251 and EIP-7002: Increased maximum effective balance and exit mechanism for executive-level validators

The staking function is undergoing an enterprise-level upgrade.

EIP-7251 and EIP-7002 make key improvements to Ethereum’s staking architecture, making it more scalable, flexible, and easier for developers to use.

EIP-7251 increases the maximum effective balance of each validator from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH, which enables large stakers to consolidate assets while reducing the overall number of validators. This move reduces the burden on the consensus layer and supports future performance upgrades without adversely affecting small participants.

EIP-7002 allows the validator exit process to be triggered through the execution layer, enabling smart contracts and applications to manage the validator lifecycle on-chain. This is an important step towards a programmable and automated staking process.

“EIP-7691 and EIP-7623 will help increase throughput and mitigate worst-case scenarios by optimizing how blocks are propagated and processed.” — Ameziane (engineer focused on performance improvement)

Unleashing Layer 2 performance with EIP-7691 and EIP-7623: Moving from call data to data blocks to improve aggregation efficiency

The efficiency of Layer 2 (L2) networks will double overnight.

EIP-7691 and EIP-7623 work together to move Ethereum aggregation from relying on call data to using data blocks, thereby improving scalability and reducing pressure on the execution layer.

Data blocks were originally introduced via EIP-4844 during the Dencun upgrade in March 2024, providing rollups with a cheaper temporary data storage solution than call data. However, many rollups continue to rely on call data due to familiarity with tooling and data block space limitations. To address this, EIP-7623 increased the gas cost of call data from 16 to 42 per byte, thereby disincentivizing its use. But to make the transition feasible, EIP-7691 increased Ethereum's data block capacity, raising the target number per block from 3 to 6 and the maximum number from 6 to 9.

This coordinated adjustment makes block space more accessible while reducing the attractiveness of calling data, helping networks like Linea scale more efficiently with lower fees and faster finality. Developers can now rely on the availability of blocks when designing applications, thereby improving user predictability and performance. This is part of a planned evolution: in the subsequent Fusaka upgrade, the target number of blocks per block will reach 36 and the maximum number will be 52, which will achieve more than 10 times the efficiency, throughput and cost. Fusaka is the next round of upgrades after the Pectra upgrade, and it is expected to further expand the block capacity, with a target number of 32 and a maximum number of 56.

Ethereum's future development path

The Pectra upgrade is an important step for Ethereum and its ecosystem applications to move towards a new journey. MetaMask plans to support the EIP-7702 proposal, which will enable ordinary externally owned accounts (EOAs) to trade without paying gas fees, while realizing social recovery and delegation functions. ConsenSys staking services are also ready to implement the EIP-7251 proposal, which allows validators to increase their stake to a maximum of 2048 ETH and reduce the operating costs of validators across the network.

Linea is actively preparing for early support for the EIP-7691 proposal, so that its developers can take advantage of higher blob capacity and lower rollup fees even before the mainnet is officially launched. In addition to technical preparations, Linea is gradually becoming the second layer network (L2) that best fits Ethereum in the Ethereum ecosystem, and is expected to become the official second layer network of Ethereum. This means that Linea may be the first to adopt these upgrades before the protocol upgrades are officially implemented on the mainnet. For developers, this means that they can use powerful features in advance and pass these advantages to users at an unprecedented speed.

Looking ahead, Ethereum’s next major upgrade, the Fusaka upgrade, is expected to implement a full danksharding mechanism through PeerDAS, which will significantly improve the speed and scalability of the network. Combined with the foundation laid by the Pectra upgrade, these changes are part of the gradual evolution of the Ethereum network, which is driving Ethereum towards its grand goal of becoming a truly scalable and efficient global settlement layer.

“The future is bright, with changes like PeerDAS set to arrive in the coming months. We should see a significant increase in Ethereum’s rollup capabilities, further solidifying Ethereum’s position in the blockchain ecosystem.” — Gabriel Camargo Fukushima, Senior Blockchain Engineer II at Consensys

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