SEI Price Jumps 7.3% As World Liberty Financial Loads Up 541,242 Coins

SEI Price Jumps 7.3% As World Liberty Financial Loads Up 541,242 Coins

Donald Trump’s DeFi project World Liberty Financial continues fresh crypto, acquiring another 541,242 SEI coins. This news was enough to push the SEI price up by 7.3% while the broader crypto market consolidates. The recent acquisition comes despite the Trump portfolio for digital assets sitting on a $124 million loss.

SEI Price Rallies After Donald Trump’s DeFi Project Investment

Amid the week of strong crypto market correction, the SEI price has bounced back from the bottom of $0.18, thereby gaining an additional 7% today, and inching closer to $0.20 levels. Also, the daily trading volume for SEI has shot up by 17% to more than $127 million, showing a strong bullish sentiment for the altcoin.

The recent SEI price pump comes as Donald Trump’s blockchain-focused venture, World Liberty Financial, has made another significant investment, purchasing 541,242 SEI tokens for $100,000 USDC at an average price of $0.185, as data from Spot On Chain.

The project’s total SEI holdings now stand at 1.089 million tokens, acquired at a cumulative cost of $225,000. However, due to the recent market fluctuations, their current value has dropped slightly to $207,000. The Trump portfolio, which holds a total of 9 crypto tokens, is currently sitting at a cumulative loss of $124 million on its investment value of close to $340 million.

Source: LookonChain

On the technical chart, SEI price is positioning for a potential short-term breakout from its descending triangle pattern on the hourly chart. A decisive rebound from key resistance zones could trigger a substantial price movement.

Source: TradingView

World Liberty Financial on Crypto Buying Spree

Despite the broader crypto market downtrend since late February, World Liberty Financial has aggressively expanded its crypto portfolio, investing $21.6 million in prominent assets such as Ethereum (ETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Move (MOVE), and SEI.

Last week itself, it added the Donald Trump’s DeFi project invested $10 million each into Ethereum (ETH) and Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC).

In February, World Liberty Financial unveiled its new Macro Strategy Reserve, a strategic initiative aimed at fortifying its presence in the cryptocurrency sector. The Reserve focuses on diversifying WLFI’s holdings across a range of digital assets to provide financial stability. By spreading investments, the reserve seeks to mitigate market volatility while ensuring the platform’s long-term resilience and sustainability in the evolving crypto landscape.

Recent Partner With Sui

The Donald Trump’s DeFi project also announced its recent partnership with Sui on key development opportunities. As part of this partnership, it will also build a strategic SUI reserve.

Evang Cheng, a founding contributor to Sui, stated that the synergy between Sui’s cutting-edge technology and WLFI’s ambitious vision could revolutionize the way assets are stored and utilized globally.

The post SEI Price Jumps 7.3% As World Liberty Financial Loads Up 541,242 Coins appeared first on CoinGape.

95% of Bitcoin ETF Investors Still Holding Strong Despite 25% BTC Price Drop

95% of Bitcoin ETF Investors Still Holding Strong Despite 25% BTC Price Drop

Despite the strong 25 BTC price correction since the start of 2025, a large majority of investors into US spot Bitcoin ETFs have been holding with diamond hands. Data from Bloomberg shows that a massive 95% of investors still continue to hold the ETFs without any major concerns.

Bitcoin ETF Holders Have Diamond Hands

Bloomberg’s ETF strategist James Seyffart recently shared some key details stating that the BTC ETF inflows have declined slightly to $35 billion, a bit down from the peak of $40 billion. This represents over 95% of investor cash holding firm, even as the BTC price faced a sharp 25% downturn. Big institutional players like Goldman Sachs also have more than $1.5 billion exposure to Bitcoin ETFs.

95% of Bitcoin ETF Investors Still Holding Strong Despite 25% BTC Price Drop
Source: Bloomberg Intelligence

Currently, the US Bitcoin ETFs manage a total of $115 billion in assets under management, with the data underscoring the resilience of investors and big players who have invested in this product.

Interestingly, since mid-February, there have been massive outflows in BTC ETFs, with nearly $5 billion outflows from the peak. As per the data from Farside Investors, the total outflows on March 13 were $135 million, with only the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) seeing net inflows of $45.7 million.

BTC Price Selling Pressure Continues

Amid the macro uncertainty and the Trump tariff war, Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have come under severe selling pressure. Following the US CPI data release on Wednesday and cooling inflation, the BTC price made a brief surge above the crucial resistance of $84,000, however, failed to hold above the crucial levels.

As of press time, Bitcoin is trading 1.56% down at $81,953 levels, with daily trading volume dropping by 22% under $30 billion. The Coinglass data shows that the 24-hour liquidations have shot up to $75 million, of which $52 million is in long liquidations.

Ki Young Ju, CEO of on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant, has commented on the current state of Bitcoin demand, noting that it appears “stuck” at present. Despite the sluggish activity, Ju emphasized that it is “too early to call it a bear market”.

95% of Bitcoin ETF Investors Still Holding Strong Despite 25% BTC Price Drop
Source: Ki Young Ju

Long Term Bitcoin Holders Are Buying

Despite the strong Bitcoin ETF outflows, on-chain data shows that long term Bitcoin holders have continued to add more. Prominent crypto analyst Ali Martinez has reported a surge in Bitcoin accumulation by long-term holders. According to Martinez, these investors have added over 131,000 BTC to their wallets in the past month alone.

Source: Ali Charts

The post 95% of Bitcoin ETF Investors Still Holding Strong Despite 25% BTC Price Drop appeared first on CoinGape.

4 Things Pi Network Token Holders Need to Worry About Ahead of Pi Day

4 Things Pi Network Token Holders Need to Worry About Ahead of Pi Day

The Pi Network community is eagerly awaiting Pi Day, which will mark the sixth anniversary of the project. However, even as anticipation builds within the community over the impact that this day will have on Pi coin price, several concerns remain that could impact token holders. This article explores the four things that Pi Network token holders need to worry about on this pivotal date. 

Things Pi Network Token Holders Should Worry About on Pi Day 

Pi Day is an event that is celebrated on March 14 every year and will coincide with the project’s sixth anniversary. During this event, Pi Network token holders are awaiting a flurry of announcements that could spike the level of market interest in the altcoin. 

Pi Coin has made waves since its launch, with its market cap surging to more than $11 billion. Top exchanges like OKX and Bitget have listed Pi Coin. There has also been notable Pi Coin adoption from a top US real estate company. 

Pi Day is set to unlock another stage for the project. This day is also the deadline for mainnet migration. There is also anticipation that a major exchange might list Pi Network token on this day. 

Nevertheless, despite the buzz surrounding this day, Pi Coin holders should remain concerned about the following: 

KYC and Mainnet Deadline Migration 

The Pi Network migration deadline is on Pi Day 2025. This migration will transfer Pi token holders and users from the testnet to the official blockchain that launched last month. Users can only migrate their tokens if they complete Know Your Customer (KYC) verification. 

Pi Network has set the deadline for migration on March 14, 2025. It has also stated that there will be no extensions to this deadline. Those who fail to complete KYC and the migration will end up losing most of their Pi tokens. 

4 Things Pi Network Token Holders Need to Worry About Ahead of Pi Day
Pi Network Migration Deadline

The possibility of losing Pi Coins if one misses the migration deadline should concern token holders. Moreover, given the gains that the Pi Network token could see during this event, losing these coins could lead to major losses. 

Concerns About Decentralization 

Pi Network token holders should also be concerned about the level of decentralization on the project. Pi Coin has a maximum supply of 100 billion tokens. Meanwhile, data from PiScan shows that 62 billion tokens are held by six wallets belonging to the core team. 

4 Things Pi Network Token Holders Need to Worry About Ahead of Pi Day
Pi Coin Core Team Wallets

Besides the supply distribution, the Pi Network has 2 active validators globally and only 17 active nodes. This is a significantly small number compared to decentralized networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which have thousands of active nodes and validators that guarantee decentralization. 

4 Things Pi Network Token Holders Need to Worry About Ahead of Pi Day
Pi Network Nodes

Such concerns could weigh on the Pi Network price after Pi Day. It may also hinder broader adoption, and impact investor confidence. 

Delayed Listing on Top Exchanges 

The Pi Network community is optimistic about Binance listing Pi Coin. Some anticipate that the listing could happen on Pi Day after the mainnet migration and users meet KYC requirements. 

Nevertheless, Binance has yet to confirm the listing. Coinbase has also not revealed plans to list this token despite Pi Coin gaining swift adoption in the US. If Pi Network token is not listed on another major exchange on Pi Day, it could slow the momentum and reduce investor confidence. 

Pi Network Price Shows Slow Momentum 

Pi Network price today is $1.68 with a marginal drop of 1.7% in 24 hours. The RSI is at 55, which is close to neutral levels, indicating that buying activity has slowed. The CMF indicator has also tipped south, which is a sign of Pi Coin price weakness as buying pressure fades. 

The lack of significant buying pressure around the Pi Network token despite the hype around Pi Day is concerning. If this momentum continues, the price could slip to the 23.6% Fibonacci level of $1.36. Conversely, if buying pressure surges and reverses the trend, Pi Coin could touch the 123.6% Fib level of $1.93. 

4 Things Pi Network Token Holders Need to Worry About Ahead of Pi Day
PI/USDT: 2-hour Chart

Bottom Line 

The Pi Network token is poised for price volatility on Pi Day. While a flurry of announcements could spark gains, Pi Coin holders should still take note of factors like the mainnet migration. Concerns about decentralization and failure of being listed on other top exchanges may affect the price performance. 

The post 4 Things Pi Network Token Holders Need to Worry About Ahead of Pi Day appeared first on CoinGape.

Best Crypto Tokens to Watch for Altcoin Season 2025

Altcoin Season 2025

The post Best Crypto Tokens to Watch for Altcoin Season 2025 appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The cryptocurrency market has taken a brutal hit, losing over $1 trillion in just three months. Panic selling has taken hold as investors watch prices tumble. Bitcoin, which was trading above $101,000, has now plunged to around $82,000 as of Thursday, March 13, during early New York trading.

But the real pain is in the altcoin market. With Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE) leading the downturn, traders are left wondering: is this just another dip, or is the long-awaited altseason slipping further away? And with the rise of spot crypto ETFs, could the usual market cycles be shifting for good?

Let’s break down the key signals, historical trends, and what could determine whether 2025 brings the next big altcoin rally.

Altseason 2025 Key Insights 

In previous market cycles, altcoin rallies have started when Bitcoin dominance begins to decline. However, with the rise of spot crypto ETFs, the usual cash flow patterns in crypto have shifted, making it harder to predict when the next altseason will begin.

From a technical standpoint, the Others/BTC trading pair is currently testing a major support level on the weekly chart. In past cycles, this setup has triggered strong altcoin rallies. However, if altcoins fail to rebound in the coming weeks, the long-awaited altseason may be delayed.

Too Many Altcoins, Slower Growth

The existence of more than 15,000 altcoins—ranging from utility tokens to meme coins—has spread crypto liquidity thin, slowing down the usual four-year bull cycle. However, the shift in U.S. leadership under President Donald Trump, who has prioritized clearer crypto regulations, has helped fuel optimism for digital asset adoption, especially in the DeFi sector.

The launch of the Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin has played a role in expanding crypto adoption among both retail and institutional investors. Given these developments, some altcoins—especially those that are heavily oversold but have strong leadership and active communities—could be poised for gains.

Altcoins to Watch in 2025

Here are some top altcoins that could see strong recoveries in the next cycle:

  • Shiba Inu (SHIB)
  • Notcoin (NOT)
  • Litecoin (LTC)
  • Toncoin (TON)
  • PancakeSwap (CAKE)
  • Uniswap (UNI)

If historical patterns hold, these tokens could be among the biggest gainers when altseason finally arrives.

The wait for altseason continues, but when momentum shifts, it tends to do so in a big way.

Never Miss a Beat in the Crypto World!

Stay ahead with breaking news, expert analysis, and real-time updates on the latest trends in Bitcoin, altcoins, DeFi, NFTs, and more.

The post Best Crypto Tokens to Watch for Altcoin Season 2025 appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
The cryptocurrency market has taken a brutal hit, losing over $1 trillion in just three months. Panic selling has taken hold as investors watch prices tumble. Bitcoin, which was trading above $101,000, has now plunged to around $82,000 as of Thursday, March 13, during early New York trading. But the real pain is in the …

Crypto News: Trump Administration Set to Focus on U.S.-Based Altcoins, Expert Reveals Bullish Outlook

The post Crypto News: Trump Administration Set to Focus on U.S.-Based Altcoins, Expert Reveals Bullish Outlook appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Andrew Lunardi, Head of Growth at Immutable, expressed strong optimism about the cryptocurrency market, predicting a substantial rebound in the second half of 2025. The cryptocurrency market is currently experiencing a slump, with Bitcoin and Ethereum trading below $82k and $2k respectively.  

One of the major catalysts, according to Lunardi, is the anticipated regulatory clarity from the Trump Administration. On the Milk Road podcast, he said that the administration’s forthcoming policies on compliant tokens will likely unlock substantial investment, particularly from institutional investors. “We’re about to see clear regulatory guidelines on what it means to have a compliant token, which will reduce risks and encourage more institutional capital to flow into the market,” Lunardi said.

Lunardi also pointed to the fading prominence of meme coins as a bullish indicator. While many have seen the decline of meme coins as a sign of a bear market, Lunardi views it as a positive shift, suggesting that liquidity from meme coins will likely be reallocated into more established altcoins, potentially benefiting diverse crypto portfolios.

Furthermore, Lunardi said that institutional capital inflows and the rise of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will provide significant support to the market, helping to stabilize prices and facilitate broader crypto adoption. “The infrastructure for institutional capital is in place, with more ETFs opening up the market,” he explained.

He explained that his main focus is on Bitcoin, and he remains bullish on Solana as well, despite the current popularity of meme coins. He also mentioned that he believes the Trump Administration will pay special attention to U.S.-based cryptocurrencies, particularly those that have utility and real-world applications.

Despite his bullish outlook, Lunardi acknowledged the potential challenges posed by macroeconomic factors, such as tariffs and inflation. He warned that global economic uncertainties could still impact the crypto market in the short term, particularly if tariffs escalate and inflation remains high.

The post Crypto News: Trump Administration Set to Focus on U.S.-Based Altcoins, Expert Reveals Bullish Outlook appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
Andrew Lunardi, Head of Growth at Immutable, expressed strong optimism about the cryptocurrency market, predicting a substantial rebound in the second half of 2025. The cryptocurrency market is currently experiencing a slump, with Bitcoin and Ethereum trading below $82k and $2k respectively.   One of the major catalysts, according to Lunardi, is the anticipated regulatory clarity …

Crypto News Today (14th March, 2025): Market Falls Again? 

Crypto News Today

The post Crypto News Today (14th March, 2025): Market Falls Again?  appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

After a slight recovery yesterday, the crypto market today has incurred some correction by the bears. This time, the business’s market cap has taken a slight dip of 0.94% in the past 24 hours to $2.68 trillion. In the thick of these trends, the total volume has dropped by 10.15% to $90.36 billion. The Fear & Greed Index has now taken a plunge to extreme fear at 18, highlighting traders being extra cautious about their next move.

Bitcoin Price Drops Below $83k

Bitcoin price today has slashed by 1.42% to $82,004.85, this has come after a drop to its intraday low of $79,931.85. Betwixt the turn of events, trading volume of BTC also dropped steeply by 20.58% to $29.88 billion.  

For a deeper dive into Bitcoin’s future, explore our Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction 2025, 2026-2030.

Altcoins Prices Today: Ethereum Holds Firm

Ethereum is presently showing resilience against the broader market’s trends, with an intraday price spike of 1.57% to 1,897.27. Talking about other major altcoins, XRP posted a decent gain of 2.99%, rising to $2.30, while Solana traded in red, slipping by 1.17% to $125.03.

Read our XRP Price Prediction 2025, 2026-2030 for potential price targets!

Top Gainers & Losers

Sonic led the charge, by surging 13.32% to $0.5113. Trump token followed second with a 9.32% price jump, and KAVA registered an 8.82% gain. On the losing side, STORY IP led the losers with a 6.02% fall, while ENA and MOVE sank by 5.16% and 4.70%, respectively.

Subscribe to stay tuned for daily insights and in-depth analysis of the ever-evolving crypto market.

FAQs

How much does 1 BTC cost today?

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is priced at $82,004.85.

Which altcoins are the top gainers today?

Sonic (+13.32%), Trump (+9.32%), and KAVA (+8.82%) are today’s top-performing altcoins.

How has Ethereum performed today?

Ethereum has gained 1.57% in the last 24 hours, currently trading at $1,897.27.

The post Crypto News Today (14th March, 2025): Market Falls Again?  appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
After a slight recovery yesterday, the crypto market today has incurred some correction by the bears. This time, the business’s market cap has taken a slight dip of 0.94% in the past 24 hours to $2.68 trillion. In the thick of these trends, the total volume has dropped by 10.15% to $90.36 billion. The Fear …

Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Prediction for March 14

Why is Shiba Inu not Breaking the Current ATH

The post Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Prediction for March 14 appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Since the first week of December 2024, the Shibarmy has experienced a choppy market for Shiba Inu (SHIB) akin to Ethereum (ETH). The mid-cap dog-themed memecoin, with a fully diluted valuation of about $7.2 billion and a 24-hour average trading volume of about $169 million, has dropped more than 22 percent in the past four weeks to trade about $0.00001239 on Friday, March 14, during the mid-London trading session.

As the largest memecoin on the Ethereum network, Shiba Inu price has moved in tandem with Ethereum. Consequently, a potential V-shaped reversal for Ether in the near future could directly impact Shiba Inu price action and the wider altcoin market.

Shiba Inu Chart Insights 

From a technical analysis standpoint, Shiba Inu price is currently retesting a crucial support range between $0.0000128 and $0.00001, which was established in the last year. Additionally, SHIB price has been retesting a crucial support weekly trendline, which must hold to invalidate further market correction.

In case of a sudden market reversal, SHIB price will be aiming for the next supply zone between $0.000021 and $0.000025.

Favoring Fundamentals 

Shiba Inu has, over the years of existence, evolved to a utility-based memecoin through the Shibarium layer two (L2) ecosystem. The Shibarium ecosystem has grown to more than a dozen DeFi protocols, with a total value locked of about $1.71M at the time of this writing.As a result, the SHIB token has attracted more than 1.4 million on-chain holders, who have helped increase the network’s overall burn rate. In the past 24 hours, the burn rate of SHIB surged by 27,787 percent, according to on-chain aggregate data from Shibburn

The post Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Prediction for March 14 appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
Since the first week of December 2024, the Shibarmy has experienced a choppy market for Shiba Inu (SHIB) akin to Ethereum (ETH). The mid-cap dog-themed memecoin, with a fully diluted valuation of about $7.2 billion and a 24-hour average trading volume of about $169 million, has dropped more than 22 percent in the past four …

BlackRock Eyes XRP ETF Filing After SEC Lawsuit Conclusion

Bitwise XRP ETF

The post BlackRock Eyes XRP ETF Filing After SEC Lawsuit Conclusion appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

BlackRock’s filing for an XRP ETF is highly awaited in the XRP community, as the company manages $11.6 trillion in assets. Franklin Templeton, a $1.5 trillion asset manager, recently filed its own S-1 form for an XRP ETF. With increasing interest in digital assets, companies like BlackRock are eager not to miss the opportunity, as they did with Bitcoin ETFs. The competition is intensifying with many firms, including Grayscale, eager to offer XRP futures ETFs.

Nate Geraci, president of The ETF Store, has forecasted that BlackRock will file for both Solana and XRP ETFs. He predicts that a Solana ETF could be filed at any moment, while an XRP ETF would likely come after the conclusion of the SEC lawsuit.

For the unversed, in July 2023, a court ruled that Ripple’s direct sales of XRP to institutional investors broke securities laws, but sales on public exchanges did not. This resulted in a $125 million fine and restrictions on Ripple’s institutional XRP sales. The SEC has dropped cases against major crypto firms, and XRP could be next. Also, President Donald Trump’s administration created a Crypto Strategic Reserve, which includes Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA).

BlackRock currently leads the market in both Bitcoin and Ether ETFs by assets, and Geraci believes the company won’t let competitors launch ETFs on two of the top five non-stablecoin crypto assets without putting up a fight. Additionally, he predicts that BlackRock will also file for crypto index ETFs in the future.

https://twitter.com/NateGeraci/status/1900346734410154143

Industry watchers are excited about the race, as BlackRock’s involvement would significantly impact the future of XRP ETFs, mirroring the success of Bitcoin ETFs. The SEC’s delay in approval may provide time for additional players like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton to solidify their positions. The race for XRP-related financial products is on, and all eyes are on the SEC’s next steps.

Investors are closely monitoring these developments, hopeful that clearer regulations will guide the market forward and attract more institutional investors into the cryptocurrency space. The future of XRP and digital asset ETFs looks promising as industry giants gear up for what’s expected to be a game-changing year.

The post BlackRock Eyes XRP ETF Filing After SEC Lawsuit Conclusion appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
BlackRock’s filing for an XRP ETF is highly awaited in the XRP community, as the company manages $11.6 trillion in assets. Franklin Templeton, a $1.5 trillion asset manager, recently filed its own S-1 form for an XRP ETF. With increasing interest in digital assets, companies like BlackRock are eager not to miss the opportunity, as …

POPCAT Price Struggles to Recover from 48% Drop; Could Robinhood Listing Trigger a Rally?

POPCAT has faced significant challenges since the beginning of February, as attempts at recovery have failed to materialize. Despite some price rallies, the meme coin has struggled to regain its losses, with a 48% drop weighing heavily on its performance. 

While the altcoin is still attempting a recovery, a lack of strong support and market optimism is causing delays in any significant rebound. But the meme coin did have a key bullish moment this week.

POPCAT Needs Investors’ Backing

The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator has remained stuck below the zero line for the past three and a half months. This suggests that inflows into POPCAT have been weak since early December 2024, with little buying interest. The lack of conviction due to fear of losses from investors has contributed to a lack of momentum, keeping the meme coin from experiencing a recovery.

The weak CMF reading signals that investors are not pouring money into POPCAT, which is preventing a meaningful price increase. This has led to the coin’s struggle to maintain any positive price action, further delaying the recovery. 

POPCAT CMF
POPCAT CMF. Source: TradingView

Technical indicators such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) also reflect POPCAT’s struggle to find sustained momentum. The RSI has remained below the neutral line of 50.0 for the past three months, indicating weak bullish signals. This reinforces the notion that broader market cues are not supporting a strong recovery for the meme coin.

Without support from the broader market, POPCAT has found it difficult to break out of its current downtrend. Until the market improves, POPCAT is unlikely to break its bearish cycle.

POPCAT RSI
POPCAT RSI. Source: TradingView

POPCAT Price Is Likely Consolidating

Over the last four days, POPCAT has rallied nearly 20%, currently trading at $0.180. A key catalyst was Robinhood’s POPCAT listing on Thursday, which is expected to drive more investment into the asset and expose it to more investors.

The altcoin has bounced off the support level of $0.140 and is now under the resistance of $0.203. While this recent recovery is encouraging, it will face significant challenges in breaching the $0.203 barrier.

Given the weak market conditions and investor sentiment, POPCAT could struggle to break through the $0.203 resistance. It is more likely that the altcoin will consolidate within the range of $0.140 to $0.203, at least until stronger market cues emerge. This could delay any potential recovery further.

POPCAT Price Analysis.
POPCAT Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

However, if market conditions and investor behavior improve, POPCAT may push past the $0.203 resistance. A successful breach of this level could see the altcoin test $0.238, invalidating the current bearish outlook. This would signal a shift in market sentiment and possibly set the stage for a more sustained recovery.

The post POPCAT Price Struggles to Recover from 48% Drop; Could Robinhood Listing Trigger a Rally? appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Hoodi Testnet to Test Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade Before Mainnet Launch

Ethereum will launch the Hoodi testnet on March 17, addressing Pectra testing issues encountered on the Holesky and Sepolia testnets.

This move comes as developers work to troubleshoot bugs that could potentially delay the Sepolia fork.

Ethereum Unveils Hoodi Testnet for Pectra Testing

The Ethereum network has been working on the Pectra upgrade to introduce key Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). These proposals will enhance staking mechanisms and improve the wallet user experience.

However, Ethereum conducts tests in the run-up to its various EIPs. These probes ensure seamless upgrades and mainnet launches, citing methodical testing strategies.

The Sepolia testnet upgraded to Pectra just a week ago, marking a significant milestone in the development process. Additionally, Ethereum launched the Mekong testnet in early November to preview Pectra fork updates. This allowed developers to evaluate its features ahead of broader implementation.

However, in a February 25 post, Christine Kim, a researcher at Galaxy, highlighted the challenges faced in the testing phase of Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade.

“Pectra is live on Holesky…Seeing a slight uptick in missed blocks but the network participation rate looks strong…some client teams are reporting issues with invalid blocks in the Eth R&D discord… lots more missed blocks and the network isn’t finalizing…Devs are troubleshooting what the issues are. Depending on the scale of the bugs, devs could delay the Sepolia fork… network is still not finalizing, the participation rate has dropped to ~50%,” Kim explained.

To establish whether these creases have been ironed out, Ethereum will launch the Hoodi testnet on Monday, March 17. If testing on Hoodi proves successful, the Pectra upgrade could go live on Ethereum’s mainnet by late April. However, according to Tim Beiko, a key Ethereum developer, delays extending into May remain possible.

“A new testnet, Hoodi, is going live Monday to wrap up Pectra testing. If you need to test validator exits, be on the lookout for it! Everything else can be tested on Sepolia & Holesky. Pectra will be scheduled 30+ days after Hoodi forks successfully, pending infra and client testing. Fusaka planning will run in parallel, with a deadline of March 24 to propose EIPs, and a tentative date of April 10 for a scope freeze,” Beiko articulated.  

Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade timeline
Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade timeline. Source: Tim Beiko on X

This means that the Ethereum Pectra Upgrade is contingent on successful testing on Hoodi after previous testnets. With the Hoodi testnet slated for March 17 and Pectra Upgrade at least 30 days thereafter, the update could go live as soon as April 17 or later. Some users expressed dissatisfaction with this delay.

“Pectra delayed by a month. Core devs really can’t ship anything in time,” one user remarked.

Nevertheless, others seemed unsurprised by the timeline, an understanding that likely appreciates the rigorousness of delivering seamless mainnet launches. The launch of the Hoodi testnet next week represents a crucial step in ensuring the stability and effectiveness of the Pectra upgrade.

With developer scrutiny intensifying and planned improvements in staking and user experience, Ethereum’s roadmap focuses on long-term scalability and security enhancements for its network.

“I’m stoked this could make ETH even sharper and more efficient,” a user on X remarked.

Fusaka, the next major upgrade, will follow in 2026. While details remain scarce, Fusaka promises to refine Ethereum’s scalability and efficiency further. This will advance the network’s evolution toward greater usability and adoption.

The post Hoodi Testnet to Test Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade Before Mainnet Launch appeared first on BeInCrypto.