Ethereum's Pectra Test Faces Another Hurdle, Will the April Upgrade Proceed as Planned?

By: blockbeats|2025/03/06 16:45:02
0
Share
copy
Original Article Title: "Ethereum Pectra Test Faces Another Failure! Mainnet Upgrade in April May Be Delayed, ETH Market Sentiment Hits Bottom"
Original Article Author: DaFi Weaver, from BlockTempo at Dooqu

Following the successful launch of the Holesky testnet, the Ethereum Pectra upgrade was scheduled to be activated on the Sepolia testnet yesterday (5). This was the final crucial stage before the mainnet upgrade. However, after several hours of testing, Sepolia started experiencing errors, leading some developers to call for a delay in the mainnet upgrade scheduled around April 8. This may further dampen the already low Ethereum sentiment.

Sepolia Testnet Encounters Empty Block Issue

The reason for the failure was that developers noticed the Sepolia testnet starting to experience empty block issues.

The Ethereum Foundation stated that this was due to a configuration error in the Sepolia testnet's deposit contract, causing many execution layer clients to be unable to include transactions in blocks. It was emphasized that this was only a testnet configuration issue and not a flaw in Pectra itself. In other words, this issue will not impact the Ethereum mainnet and only occurred in the Sepolia test environment.

Developers from the Ethereum Foundation stated that they "identified the root cause of the problem within minutes" and promptly deployed a fix to restore normal network operation. As of last night at 10:00 (UTC+8), validators had successfully resolved the issue, and network throughput returned to normal.

Despite this, the test still raised concerns about whether Pectra has been thoroughly tested. This is because a previous test on Ethereum's Holesky testnet also experienced issues with chain fork, caused by misconfigured validators.

· Holesky Testnet was the first stage of testing

· Sepolia Testnet is the second stage of testing, which should proceed to mainnet upgrade if no issues arise

Galaxy Digital Research Vice President: Mainnet Upgrade Needs to Be Delayed

Galaxy Digital's Research Vice President, Christine Kim, stated in an interview with CoinDesk:

I do think the issues on the Holesky and Sepolia testnets necessitate a delay in the Pectra mainnet upgrade.

Kim pointed out that while developers may be ready, the entire Ethereum ecosystem, including smart contract applications and wallet service providers, also needs to prepare accordingly. He suggested that Ethereum developers should use this time to establish additional testing infrastructure to ensure the stability of the upgrade.

Ethereum core developers will hold a meeting on March 7 to determine the official launch date of the Pectra upgrade. If a delay is announced, it may trigger further community unrest, especially given the current low ETH price, significant restructuring within the Ethereum Foundation, and competition from public chains like Solana, all putting pressure on the Ethereum ecosystem.

Ethereum Market Sentiment Hits Annual Low

Blockchain data analytics platform Santiment noted that Ethereum's market sentiment has dropped to a one-year low, primarily due to its recent underperformance compared to other major crypto assets.

However, for ETH investors with patience, Santiment is optimistic:

The prevailing pessimism in the community might actually be a precursor to a market bottom and recovery. Once the crypto market stabilizes, ETH could have the opportunity for a rebound.

Ethereum's Pectra Test Faces Another Hurdle, Will the April Upgrade Proceed as Planned?

ETH Surges Over 4%

As of the time of writing, ETH, driven by Bitcoin's rise, is currently trading at $2,275, hitting a 24-hour high of $2,288, up 4.67%. It has rebounded nearly 15% from its recent low of $1,993.

Original Article Link

You may also like

Why do I still have confidence in ETH?

As stablecoins and RWAs accelerate on-chain, Ethereum's role as a global value settlement layer has only just begun, and the market will eventually reprice ETH.

CRCL surges and plummets, COIN follows with a dive: The real battle for interests behind the CLARITY Act

The leak of the CLARITY bill draft has triggered a plunge in Circle and Coinbase, directly hitting the core provision of the stablecoin "ban on interest," revealing the deep political and economic game in Washington's strict prevention of stablecoins evolving into on-chain savings accounts and the c...

What Is TradFi and Why Is Everyone Talking About It in 2026?

Gold is rallying, SpaceX is heading for a historic IPO, and oil remains highly volatile. Discover why TradFi is back in focus and how crypto traders can access these opportunities with USDT. Put another way, TradFi Is Having Its Biggest Moment Ever, and Crypto Traders Are Perfectly Positioned

From Poland to Paris: A Look Back at WEEX's Global Community Journey in May 2026

Follow WEEX's global journey across Poland, Barcelona, Dubai, Milan and Paris. Explore Bitcoin Pizza Day, LALIGA VIP experiences, Web3 networking events, trading education and more from an action-packed May.

WEEX WXT Eco Carnival: How to Join WXT Events and Plan Trading Tasks

The WEEX WXT Eco Carnival is an ecosystem campaign built around WEEX Token (WXT), designed for users interested in platform tokens, spot trading, futures trading, deposit tasks, and referral rewards.

WSJ: Hyperliquid is becoming Wall Street's crypto "convenience store"

Hyperliquid has become a 24/7 trading venue, with more and more traditional and cryptocurrency traders flocking to the platform to bet on almost all assets.

Popular coins

Latest Crypto News

Read more
iconiconiconiconiconiconicon
Customer Support:@weikecs
Business Cooperation:@weikecs
Quant Trading & MM:bd@weex.com
VIP Program:support@weex.com