The Pectra update has taken place on Ethereum: What will happen now?

Question

Ethereum has passed one of the most significant updates in its 10-year history. This update, called Pectra, was successfully activated on the network today around 1:00 PM Turkey time.

The name Pectra comes from the combination of two separate updates called "Prague" and "Electrum". The update, which includes 11 different Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIP), brings solutions to transaction costs, scalability, and inefficiencies in the staking process.

The main effects of Pectra on the end user can be listed as an increase in transaction capacity, a decrease in transaction fees, ease of use, and an increase in staking efficiency.

The network will be able to handle more transactions, so users will wait less for the approval of their transactions, and network congestion will decrease. It is aimed for Ethereum to operate more smoothly even during periods of heavy use of popular decentralized applications.
On the other hand, the changes brought by Pectra regarding staking will positively reflect on the end user, even if indirectly. Although the minimum requirement of 32 ETH to become a validator (validator) with Pectra remains, the maximum amount that a validator can stake has been increased from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH. Previously, someone with 40 ETH would leave the remaining 8 ETH idle while staking 32 ETH. Now, all 40 ETH can be staked. This will particularly increase efficiency for large stakers who operate multiple validators. Similarly, staking operations are becoming more user-friendly. Validator activation times are shortening, and withdrawals (unstake) can now be performed with a simple Ethereum transaction instead of complex tools.
On the other hand, wallets with Pectra can behave like smart contracts while performing transactions. This way, users will gain flexibility, such as paying transaction fees with stable coins. Additionally, it may be possible to batch multiple transactions on the chain with a single command, tie payments to specific conditions, or have someone pay fees on your behalf (sponsored transaction). In short, Ethereum wallets will become smarter and more functional.
Apart from these, wallets with Pectra will be more useful. For example, thanks to the so-called 'social recovery' feature, the control of a lost wallet can be regained through predetermined and trusted people. Additionally, Ethereum is now gaining support for built-in multi-signature (multisig). This will be an additional layer of security for large sums or joint accounts. As a result, wallet security and usage will become safer and more user-friendly, especially for new users.

Published: May 7, 2025 15:06