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.

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.

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