ACDC #153: Pectra on Hoodi, The Final Testnet Upgrade

In episode 153 of the Infinite Jungle podcast, the core developers discussed the Hootie testnet, which is now live, and the upcoming Pectra upgrade set for March 26th at 14:37 UTC. Developers will evaluate the upgrade's outcomes before scheduling the Pectra mainnet activation, likely in May or later. Infrastructure providers and application developers are encouraged to transition from the Holesky testnet to the Hootie testnet to test Pectra features. A blockchain explorer named "Dora the Explorer" will facilitate real-time monitoring of the upgrade.

The conversation emphasized the significance of Ethereum full nodes, which store all historical transaction and block data. Developers are working to reduce the requirements for operating a node to enhance decentralization and allow independent blockchain validation. The implementation of "history expiry" aims to decrease storage needs by removing historical data prior to Ethereum's transition to proof of stake in 2022. Users will still have access to historical data through alternative decentralized networks or third-party services.

A deadline of May 1st has been established for client teams to prepare their history expiry strategies, which will influence client behavior without necessitating changes to the core Ethereum protocol. Coordination among client teams is vital for effective communication regarding expired data, particularly focusing on the networking layer. However, delays in the history expiry effort have arisen due to prioritization of other upgrades, complicating the timeline in relation to the Pectra upgrade, especially concerning EIP 6110, which impacts validator deposit transactions.

Developers are weighing two options regarding the May 1st deadline: either create a workaround to meet the deadline without complicating code changes or postpone the deadline until after the Pectra upgrade. Initial discussions included the potential to drop all history before the beacon chain launch in 2020 to avoid complications with validator deposit transactions. Concerns were raised about the increased workload for developers if history expiry plans are modified, with different client teams likely adopting varying strategies.

The discussion also covered EIP 7688, which proposes reorganizing data on the consensus layer into Merkle trees. This change is deemed crucial for applications like Lido and Rocket Pool, as it aims to create forward-compatible data containers, eliminating the need for re-indexing with future changes. Support for EIP 7688 was expressed by developers, who recognized its importance for their applications. The proposal seeks to simplify the beacon chain by removing outdated components of the consensus layer data structure.

Developers noted that no formal decision has been made regarding EIP 7688's inclusion in the Fusaka upgrade, stressing the need to avoid overloading with EIPs. The focus remains on ensuring the stability of Pirdas, which has been approved for Fusaka, before considering additional EIPs. There is a strong case for EIP 7688 and other code changes that could safely increase the Ethereum block gas limit, with some client teams already testing these increases. However, including any EIP could delay Pirdas activation, leading to potential debates about smaller code changes. Anticipation for discussions regarding the scope of the Fusaka upgrade is high, with expectations for these conversations to evolve in future ACD calls.