The Pectra hard fork has merged the Prague and Electra updates, introducing a series of EIPs that transform the structure of Ethereum, notably with EOF and account abstraction via EIP-7702.
This update prepares Ethereum for advanced modularity, safer smart contracts, and streamlined UX, aiming for mainstream adoption and improved scalability.
Vitalik Buterin is now focusing his work on long-term issues such as privacy, consensus redesign, and post-EVM architecture, anticipating upcoming geopolitical and technical challenges.
Pectra: Towards a More Modular, Fluid, and Powerful Ethereum
The Pectra hard fork is now active on Ethereum, merging the Prague (execution) and Electra (consensus) updates strategically, combining over a dozen EIPs. This advancement signifies more than just technical progress; it initiates a profound transformation of the network in response to scalability, usability, and technological sovereignty concerns.
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Deployed in early May, the Pectra update is one of the most ambitious steps since The Merge. It introduces the Ethereum Object Format (EOF), a new contractual structure revolutionizing the development, deployment, and auditing of smart contracts. Ultimately, this modularity paves the way for smart accounts, gasless transactions, and mainstream-level UX.
Key evolutions include:
- EIP-7702: Native account abstraction for external wallets (EOA), transformed into autonomous actors within the network.
- EIP-7002: Validator withdrawals triggered through the execution layer.
- EIP-2537: BLS12-381 precompilation, crucial for the future of ZK-rollups.
- EIP-7840: Blob management, a pivotal step towards increased data throughput.
Pectra thus forms the framework of an Ethereum designed to absorb future growth while enhancing its security and decentralized governance.
Fusaka and Glamsterdam: The Next Puzzle Pieces
The next steps are already in motion. Fusaka will introduce PeerDAS, a data sampling method allowing nodes to process block fragments, boosting scalability without burdening the infrastructure. Following is Glamsterdam, a performance-oriented update: gas optimization, cost reduction, native integration of L2 logics, with a focus on a seamless experience for users and developers.
These upgrades complete the transition from an experimental Ethereum to a global settlement system, tailored for billions of daily transactions.
Vitalik Buterin: Setting Course for Tomorrow’s Ethereum Infrastructure
Freed from operational duties since 2024, Vitalik Buterin now dedicates his efforts to systemic issues:
- Integrated privacy, with initiatives like stealth addresses.
- Consensus redesign, preparing for an architecture capable of accommodating millions of validators.
- Post-EVM architecture, exploring the use of RISC-V standard to modularize the execution environment.
His vision transcends short-term imperatives, foreseeing a world where Ethereum must remain neutral, flexible, and resilient against centralized powers, be they political, regulatory, or technological.
