The Ethereum Pectra hardfork, went live May 7, 2025 (today), and is arguably the most notable hardfork since the Merge (2022). It combines the Prague and Electra updates, Pectra implements 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) with the goal to enhance scalability, and improve both user and validator experiences.
Key Features
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Smart Accounts (EIP-7702):
Regular wallets can act like smart contracts, which includes transaction batching, paying gas fees in non-ETH tokens, and implements the use of session keys for interacting with decentralized applications (dApps). -
Increased Validator Staking Limit (EIP-7251):
Max stake per validator has gone up from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH, simplifying the process for large stakers (no more managing thousands of nodes!). -
Enhanced Data Availability (EIP-7691):
Data blobs per block have doubled, which significantly improves scalability and reduces transaction costs, especially for Layer 2 rollups. -
Streamlined Validator Onboarding (EIP-6110):
Validator deposits are processed on-chain, reducing the onboarding wait times and improving network security.
Further Reading and References:
I’ve attached a number of articles that provide additional information: