Ethereum next network upgrade will start in Q1 2025

Ethereum core developers are gearing up for the highly anticipated “Pectra” update, which will launch at the end of the first quarter of 2025.

This significant update introduces the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) Object Format (EOF), including approximately 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). EOF aims to improve the EVM code with a secure entry system, which represents a significant step forward in Ethereum's evolution.

Ethereum's next big update is coming in Q1 2025

One notable feature of the Pectra update is PeerDAS, a data availability sampling solution. PeerDAS uses peer-to-peer components in Ethereum to ensure efficient data distribution and availability. This innovation aims to strengthen the network's resiliency and performance, addressing existing expansion challenges.

Interestingly, developers replace the account abstraction EIP-3074 with a more advanced proposal, EIP-7702, by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. EIP-7702 allows Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to act as smart contract wallets during transactions. Next, streamlining the user experience and improving security.

“This EIP is designed to be very forward-compatible with the final game account summary without sacrificing any of the fine-grained details of ERC-4337 or RIP-7560,” the proposal states.

The Pectra architecture consists of two critical components. First, the Prague update on the Extrusion layer, and second, the Electra update on the Consensus layer. These updates work together to streamline transaction processing and network consensus mechanisms, ensuring a more robust and efficient blockchain.

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While the final scope of Pectra remains under discussion, some ideas such as the integration of Verkle trees may be deferred to a future hard fork called Osaka.