MultiversX Announces 'Supernova' Upgrade to Increase Blockchain Speed

MultiversX has given node operators nine days to prepare for an upgrade designed to make its blockchain 10 times faster.

The Supernova upgrade is scheduled to activate Sept. 10 during epoch 2233, cutting block times to 600 milliseconds from six seconds and forcing more than 5,000 nodes to migrate onto software capable of processing the new rules.

The upgrade goes beyond shorter block intervals. Supernova restructures MultiversX’s consensus pipeline so validators can vote on a block while execution proceeds in parallel, removing transaction execution from the critical path that previously constrained block production.

The design is also intended to preserve deterministic finality while pushing intra-shard finality below 250 milliseconds and cutting cross-shard settlement from about 18 seconds to roughly 2.4 seconds.

Meanwhile, MultiversX is keeping its epoch length unchanged and maintaining backward compatibility for addresses, keys, and balances.

The countdown begins as MultiversX’s EGLD token shows renewed momentum. Data from CryptoSlate showed that EGLD crossed $4 over the weekend for the first time since May, reaching about $4.05 before pulling back below the threshold.

Most MultiversX nodes are still on the old software

Early indications show validators are still preparing for the switch.

A mainnet configuration release candidate published Aug. 31 identified round 32157661 as the planned activation point, setting up a coordinated transition during the Sept. 1 to Sept. 10 migration window.

A Sept. 1 check of MultiversX’s public network data showed no visible Supernova migration yet, with 95.35% of its 5,171 nodes still running v1.11.11.0.

That does not indicate the network is behind schedule at the start of a nine-day window. However, it establishes the baseline against which the migration can now be measured.

The stakes rise once Supernova activates.

MultiversX’s validator guidance says processing changes require operators to upgrade so nodes continue interpreting transactions the same way. Old and new binaries can coexist before activation, but once the new rules take effect, an outdated node could produce a different transaction result and lose synchronization with the majority chain.

The transition will also include a temporary slowdown before the faster network takes over.

MultiversX expects mainnet to stop accepting new pool transactions for roughly 240 rounds under the existing six-second clock, equivalent to about 24 minutes, while clearing transactions already in flight. New transactions submitted during that period are expected to remain queued until Supernova begins processing them.

The immediate benchmark is therefore visible before Sept. 10: whether the network’s version mix shifts decisively toward Supernova ahead of round 32157661.

If that coordination arrives on schedule, attention will move to whether the upgrade can deliver its promised speed on mainnet. If a meaningful number of operators remain behind, MultiversX will have to manage the consequences of introducing substantially faster processing across a network that has not fully moved in sync.