Ethereum edges closer to deploying Pectra on mainnet with successful upgrade on Hoodi testnet

Ethereum developers activated the Pectra upgrade on the Hoodi testnet on Wednesday as part of Ethereum's methodical approach to achieving a stable mainnet deployment.

The move is potentially the final planned test before it is possible to be deployed to Ethereum's mainnet in the second quarter of the year.

Hoodi is a new test network launched by Ethereum developers on March 17, specifically to finalize testing for the Pectra upgrade after two previous attempts on the Holesky and Sepolia testnets encountered issues.

Developers noted that Hoodi successfully forked Pectra and finalized about half an hour after the activation, bringing Ethereum one step closer to implementing the upgrade on the main network.

Hoodi was created because earlier tests on Holesky and Sepolia hit snags. Configuration bugs caused network instability, with Holesky losing finality for weeks and Sepolia facing synchronization issues.

Unlike Holesky, where a clogged exit queue made complete lifecycle testing impractical, Hoodi offers a fresh start to ensure everything works as intended. Hoodi also permanently replaces Holesky , which is set to be deprecated later this year.

Through Hoodi, staking operators and client teams will test various code changes introduced by Pectra , such as improvements to the user experience in crypto wallets and account abstraction through EIP-7702, raising the upper limit for validator stakes from 32 to 2,048 ETH via EIP-7251, and increasing the maximum blob count to advance rollup scalability through EIP-7691.

Developers previously indicated in a meeting that if no major issues arise, Pectra could be activated on the mainnet about 30 days after the Hoodi test, potentially in late April. However, the mainnet deployment may also occur later, in May or June, to give stakeholders more time.