What to know:

• Ethereum’s developers postponed the Pectra upgrade following two unsuccessful test runs, the biggest upgrade since 2024.
• The tests on Holesky and Sepolia, both primary test networks for Ethereum, encountered issues due to misconfigurations rather than problems with Pectra itself.
• A temporary test network will be established, giving developers more time to work on Pectra before the rollout.

Pectra, aimed at enhancing Ethereum’s performance, is designed to compete with other blockchains. Initially scheduled to launch in March, the developers will now use a “shadow fork” for further testing. This means stakeholders can continue testing while the main network recovers. The goal is to have the main Holesky network operational by around March 28, at which point next steps regarding Pectra will be clearer.

Additional proposals included in the upgrade aim to simplify user interactions and improve the experience for developers operating on Ethereum, highlighting the pressure for the network to stay competitive.