Ethereum Developers Unveil Pectra and Validator Requirements: ACDC Call #148
Ethereum developers recently gathered for a crucial All Core Developers Consensus (ACDC) call, marking the first meeting of the year on January 9, 2025. Chaired by Ethereum Foundation Researcher Alex Stokes, this biweekly series serves as a pivotal platform for developers to collaborate on changes to Ethereum’s consensus layer, specifically the Beacon Chain.
Pectra Devnet 5 and Validator Hardware
Key discussions during the ACDC call revolved around Pectra testing updates and defining hardware requirements for validator node operators. Led by developer “Kev,” the team also reached a consensus on naming the seventh consensus layer fork after the star “Gloas.”
Parithosh Jayanthi, EF Developer Operations Engineer, shed light on unresolved issues within the consensus layer specifications that must be addressed before the launch of Pectra Devnet 5. Notably, hive tests for both execution layer (EL) and consensus layer (CL) clients have been revamped, showcasing positive performance outcomes for most clients. Stokes highlighted concerns regarding EL clients related to EIP 2935 and intended to engage with Geth developer “Lightclient” for further insights.
Timelines and Upgrades
As the discussion progressed, the timing for Pectra Devnet 5 came into focus, with Stokes recommending consultation with EL client teams before finalizing a launch date. EF Protocol Support Lead Tim Beiko proposed launching Devnet 5 the following week, aiming to upgrade Ethereum’s public testnets, Sepolia and Holesky, in February, potentially activating on the mainnet by March.
The possibility of upgrading the new Ephemery testnet alongside Sepolia and Holesky was deliberated, with a consensus emerging to prioritize Sepolia’s upgrade first, followed by Holesky. There was also a suggestion to bundle client releases to expedite mainnet activation.
Additional Developments and Upgrades
During the call, updates on PeerDAS, an enhancement to blob scalability scheduled for the Fusaka upgrade, were not shared. However, a proposal by developer “Pop” introducing three new fields for Ethereum Node Records (ENR) specifications gained traction. These changes, which enhance node connectivity on IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, are backward compatible and can be seamlessly integrated independent of Pectra developments.
In a final discussion, developers settled on naming the consensus layer’s seventh upgrade “Gloas,” paving the way for the portmanteau “Glamsterdam” for the combined EL and CL upgrades, with the EL fork already dubbed Amsterdam.
The Ethereum community eagerly anticipates the implementation of these developments, signaling an exciting phase in the evolution of Ethereum’s ecosystem. Stay tuned for more updates on Ethereum’s journey towards innovation and advancement.