On June 4, the Bectra upgrade went live on Berachain mainnet.

With this release, Berachain becomes the first EVM-identical Layer 1 to fully implement Ethereum’s Pectra execution-layer upgrades after Ethereum itself. Bectra introduces programmable smart accounts, faster validator exits, and improved support for rollups. These changes require no contract rewrites and are immediately usable by existing apps, validators, and end users.

Bectra improves core UX, unlocks new validator mechanics, and expands what’s possible for developers building on Berachain. It also sets the foundation for the next phase of PoL-aligned coordination and governance.

Smart Accounts for Every Wallet (EIP-7702)

EIP-7702 gives every wallet on Berachain the ability to function like a smart account. This upgrade allows users and applications to implement logic directly within transactions, without deploying a separate contract.

Users and developers can now:

• Batch multiple actions into one transaction
• Set spending caps and custom policies
• Sponsor gas fees in $HONEY
• Create recurring or scheduled payments

These features simplify onboarding and enable smoother flows for consumer apps, games, and wallets. They also improve gas efficiency and reduce reliance on external tooling.

Execution-Layer Withdrawals (EIP-7002)

With EIP-7002, stakers and liquid staking protocols can now withdraw validator funds through the execution layer. This makes liquidity more responsive and strategies more flexible.

Key benefits include:

• On-demand exits and rebalancing for liquid staking
• Faster movement of capital across reward vaults
• Better integration with PoL-aligned emissions and validator rewards

This improvement supports more dynamic validator behavior and creates room for composable LST strategies.

Improved Support for Rollups and High-Volume Apps (EIP-7840)

EIP-7840 allows for reduced call data costs and enables more scalable data flows. This upgrade is particularly valuable for rollups and high-throughput applications that rely on efficient data availability.

This upgrade includes:

• Lower-cost transaction posting for rollups
• Higher throughput for games and social dApps
• More scalable infrastructure for modular app development

These improvements expand Berachain’s potential as a base layer for Layer 2s and other data-intensive use cases.

Validator and Infrastructure Improvements

Bectra includes several additional upgrades that improve validator operations and node performance:

• EIP-2537: Native BLS precompiles
• EIP-2935: Historical block hash access
• EIP-7623 and EIP-7685: Refined fee logic, gas accounting, and withdrawal visibility

These changes streamline core infrastructure without requiring any protocol-level migrations.

What Comes Next

Whether you're building, staking, or just using apps on Berachain, Bectra brings meaningful improvements.

If you're a user, your on-chain experience is about to get smoother. Wallets can now batch actions, support recurring payments, and let apps sponsor gas in $HONEY. This means less friction, simpler flows, and fewer barriers to using the apps you care about. And yes, all of you BGT lovers will be able to claim all of your incentives in a single click (shortly).

If you're staking or running a validator, you now have more control over how your capital moves. Execution-layer withdrawals let you exit or rebalance positions without waiting for the consensus-layer exit queue. That makes it easier to adjust strategies, shift between vaults, or respond to changes in the market.

If you're a builder, you get access to new tools that expand what your app can do. Smart accounts allow for native spending logic and better UX without extra contracts. Blob support reduces costs for data-heavy use cases like rollups, games, and feeds.

These changes are live and ready to use. No migrations required, and no changes needed to existing contracts. Technical documentation is available here.

Bectra helps unlock better apps, faster coordination, and more responsive incentive design. It expands what’s possible on a network already built for real usage, aligned incentives, and active builders.