Highlights of Ethereum's All Core Devs Meeting #148

• Pectra Testing Updates
• Merged PRs
• Hardware Requirements for Validator
• Post Pectra Ethereum

This was the first All Core Devs Call of 2025, focusing on latest updates for Ethereum's consensus layer. Key highlights included progress on Pectra testing and hardware recommendations for validators. Looking ahead, the Fusaka fork will introduce new features like PeerDAS and EOF to enhance scalability and developer efficiency, with the community actively engaged in naming the post-Fusaka fork.

Pectra Testing Updates

The Builder Specs version 0.5.0 has been released, marking a significant step in protocol testing for the Pectra upgrade. Devnet-5 is also expected to go live soon. It is emphasized that this may be the last devnet before transitioning to broader testnets like Sepolia and Holesky. However, if significant issues arise during Devnet-5, a Devnet-6 could be launched as a contingency.

If Devnet-5 proceeds smoothly, testnets such as Sepolia and Holesky could be operational as early as February. These testnets are critical to ensure the robustness of Pectra before it is deployed on the mainnet.

Merged PRs

The first PR (#4077) reverts the version bump for BlobSidecarsByRoot and BlobSidecarsByRange from v2 back to v1, as the changes between versions were minimal and unnecessary. This reversal simplifies protocol interactions, ensuring consistency while reducing complexity for users and developers. It aligns with Ethereum's philosophy of avoiding redundant modifications that do not add significant value.

The second [PR (#9144)] updates EIP-2935, refining system contract behavior based on audit findings. Key updates include reverting requests that go out of bounds instead of returning 0, enforcing a strict input size of 32 bytes, and adjusting the history server window from 8192 to 8191 for alignment with EIP-4788. These updates enhance error signaling, standardize system contract inputs, and address edge cases, thereby improving network stability and developer experience.

Hardware Requirements for Validator

To simplify hardware validation, Ethereum plans to develop a benchmarking suite, providing tools to assess hardware capabilities effectively. This initiative supports both new and experienced validators, reducing entry barriers while ensuring setups meet network demands.

By proactively addressing hardware needs and providing flexible yet clear guidelines, Ethereum seeks to maintain a decentralized, high-performing network capable of handling future challenges and upgrades. Ethereum’s recommended hardware specifications for validators focus on ensuring robust performance and protocol stability.

Validators are advised to invest approximately $1,000 in setups such as the Intel NUC 14 Pro or Minisforum UM790 Pro, meeting requirements like 8 cores/16 threads CPUs (with specific performance ratings), 4TB NVMe storage, and a minimum of 32GB RAM (64GB recommended). These specifications address the growing demands of blockchain data, ensuring efficiency and resilience during high activity or protocol updates.

Post Pectra Ethereum

The post-Pectra updates for Ethereum's consensus layer outlines updates planned for the Fusaka fork and beyond. Two major features, Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS) and the EVM Object Format (EOF), are slated for inclusion in Fusaka.

PeerDAS enhances scalability by enabling nodes to verify data availability without downloading the entire blockchain, promoting decentralization by reducing resource requirements. EOF introduces modularity and efficiency to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), allowing for easier implementation of future upgrades while maintaining backward compatibility.

The community, actively engaged in naming the post-Fusaka fork, selected the name Glamsterdam.

Readers can watch Ethereum's All Core Devs Meeting #148 here: