Five Innovations Ethereum (ETH) Developers Are Working On

In its recent network updates, an Ethereum (ETH) core developer has highlighted five key projects the blockchain is working on.

The new innovations, which occurred on April 11 and 18, show the team’s continued push to strengthen the network while maintaining its decentralized structure.

Meanwhile, preparations for the Pectra upgrade remain on course, with no signs of delay.

Three-Slot Finality and Accountable Liveness Gain Traction

In its latest development outlook, the prominent Ethereum update for the week was the introduction of three-slot finality (3SF).

As mentioned, it was proposed by Ethereum (ETH) researchers Rob Saltini and Luca Zanolini.

The current system takes longer to finalize blocks, but 3SF would reduce this time, allowing transactions to be confirmed much faster.

In simple terms, it would allow users to send and receive crypto with fewer steps and shorter wait times while keeping the system secure from attacks.

Another important update was a new research paper exploring accountable liveness. This paper is focused on keeping the network going even when some validators drop off.

If validators become inactive, it could slow things down, but tools like the inactivity leak are designed to push the network forward.

The paper supports that direction based on the update. However, it is important to state that the ideas are still in the early stages.

Moreover, they show the developers’ intention to keep Ethereum running smoothly despite tough market conditions.

Based on experts’ opinions, these two projects focus on real-time improvements and long-term stability.

If anything, they also point to Ethereum’s (ETH) dual effort of meeting user expectations while preparing for tougher future conditions.

Execution Dependencies and Blob Gossip Tackle Network Load

Another major focus area this week was improving how the network handles large amounts of activity.

Researcher Toni Wahrstätter explained how execution dependencies affect how transactions are processed in a block.

Meanwhile, 60% to 80% of transactions can run independently and simultaneously.

It was shared that the remaining ones, often placed at the beginning of the block, can slow things down.

This happens because they depend on others. Fixing this could allow Ethereum to handle more transactions more quickly.

In a separate update, Mike Neuder shared progress on blob gossip and validation, which involve how Ethereum handles large data packets known as blobs.

The current challenge is processing these blobs without putting too much pressure on individual nodes.

PeerDAS would allow nodes to verify just parts of a blob instead of the whole thing.

This reduces bandwidth use and keeps things smooth, especially for smaller operators.

These updates show efforts to stretch Ethereum’s capacity while protecting its decentralized nature.

Ethereum ETH Pectra Launch on Track After Final Test Run

The long-awaited Pectra upgrade is still on course for its release on May 7, 2025.

Developers confirmed that the third and final testnet, Hoodi, concluded successfully with no new issues.

The update will bring important improvements, including better staking features and more efficient smart contract interactions.

While the upgrade had previously faced delays during earlier testnet phases due to bugs, recent developments indicate that those problems have been resolved.

Developers have maintained a consistent communication flow, with posts on X and dev calls pointing to a stable timeline.

Even as Ethereum’s (ETH) price dips across the market, the upgrade remains unaffected.

Still, the core team’s confidence suggests that Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade roadmap remains firm heading into May.

As of this writing, market data shows ETH price was trading at $1,586.55, down 1.15% in the last 24 hours.