• Ethereum devs consider splitting the Pectra upgrade into two phases for a 2025 launch.
• The first phase is targeted for release by February, with June seen as a deadline.
• Pectra upgrade includes the Prague (execution) and Electra (consensus) layer upgrades.

Ethereum developers are contemplating a split of the much-anticipated Pectra upgrade into two phases to ensure they launch something as early as possible to meet the community’s expectations.

During a meeting on September 12, developers discussed the potential of launching the first phase of Pectra by early 2025, with a February target being deemed feasible.

“There is broad agreement that if we split, the idea is to ship Pectra one as quickly as possible, with early next year as our target,” a developer shared at the Ethereum execution layer meeting. Another developer echoed this optimism, noting that a February release seems realistic given the potential split.

Developer Danno Ferrin suggested that the split would only be sensible if the first phase could be delivered in the first quarter of 2025, while Ethereum researcher Ansgar Dietrichs warned that if the first phase is not shipped by June, the upgrade would be considered a failure. According to Dietrichs, “a split where we still only ship the first half in June would be a failure.”

Industry experts share this sentiment, with Galaxy crypto researcher Christine Kim noting that the split is highly likely due to the complexity of the Pectra upgrade. She also indicated that the scope of the upgrade could change significantly if developers opt for a two-phase release.

What is the Ethereum Pectra Upgrade?

The Pectra upgrade, which combines two major components — the Prague upgrade focused on the execution layer and the Electra upgrade targeting the consensus layer — promises to significantly improve the scalability and operational efficiency of Ethereum blockchain.

However, the complexity of the upgrade has led to discussions about splitting it into two separate hard forks.

Despite the challenges, there remains widespread optimism in the Ethereum community. Both Ethereum researcher Christine Kim and educator Sassal have remarked that Pectra is shaping up to be one of the largest upgrades in Ethereum’s history, with Sassal calling it the biggest upgrade to date.

A final decision on the Pectra upgrade split is expected to be made at the next Ethereum All Core Developers (ACD) meeting on September 19.