Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade Set for May 7 After Clearing Technical Hurdles
Ethereum’s highly anticipated Pectra upgrade has been officially scheduled for May 7 following delays due to testnet issues. One of the biggest upgrades since Ethereum’s transition to Proof of Stake in 2022, Pectra is expected to improve scalability, staking limits, and wallet functionality.
Why Was Pectra Postponed?
Originally planned for March 2025, Pectra encountered finality issues on Ethereum’s Holesky testnet, leading to the deployment of the Hoodi testnet to resolve the issue. A minor issue on Sepolia in early March was also resolved ahead of final testing.
Ethereum developers use testnets to test out major upgrades before launching them on the mainnet. Despite previous setbacks, Holesky finally reached finality on March 10, paving the way for a finalized mainnet release.
During a developer call on Thursday, Ethereum Foundation researcher Alex Stokes confirmed the new date: “We will lock Pectra on mainnet on May 7th. Happy Pectra everyone.”
What Changes Will Pectra Bring?
The Pectra upgrade brings several important improvements, including:
- Increased staking limits: Validator staking limits will increase from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH, allowing for larger-scale participation.
- Account abstraction: Users will be able to pay gas fees with multiple tokens, such as stablecoins, instead of being limited to ETH.
- Improved wallet functionality: The upgrade makes it easier to restore lost wallet seed phrases, paving the way for social recovery.
Ethereum’s roadmap is progressing with the Pectra upgrade approved on May 7, but its price is still facing macro-driven market pressures.
*This is not investment advice.
