The Zilliqa network has been successfully upgraded to v9.3.0, with the network upgrade rolling out to mainnet on January 3, 2024.
Zilliqa v9.3.0 is a significant upgrade to the network, improving reliability and efficiency while implementing powerful new features aligned with the roadmap for Zilliqa 2.0.
The changes included in the upgrade embody the continuous efforts of the Zilliqa infrastructure team to enhance the blockchain’s capabilities and efficiency as we progress towards deploying an overhauled version of the network later this year.
Take a look at a few of the major changes introduced in Zilliqa v9.3.0 below.
Desharding and active reward control
One of the headline changes in the latest upgrade to the Zilliqa network is the introduction of active reward control and the desharding of the network ahead of the implementation of a new and improved sharding architecture.
These improvements were enacted following a voting process on Zilliqa’s decentralised governance platform, with the relevant proposals receiving a majority of favourable votes from gZIL holders on the governance portal.
The active reward control mechanism will safeguard ZIL holders and miners against sudden inflation changes that have accompanied software performance improvements on Zilliqa. Reward levels will be regularly revised based on network decisions and governance decisions while assuring industry-competitive returns for miners and stakers.
As we approach the launch of a more flexible and efficient sharding architecture with Zilliqa 2.0, shards will be temporarily eliminated from the network to improve efficiency until the new sharding architecture is implemented.
This will significantly reduce block time, improving the overall efficiency and throughput of the Zilliqa network.
Read more about the active reward control and desharding changes introduced in Zilliqa v9.3.0.
EVM compatibility improvements
EVM compatibility remains a key focus for the Zilliqa infrastructure team, improving the blockchain’s interoperability and accessibility while opening up the network to a global pool of developers and applications within the industry.
With Zilliqa v9.3.0, EVM compatibility continues to be improved. Support has been added for Type 1 and Type 2 EVM transactions, expanding compatibility with EVM applications.
The upgrade also includes the ability to reflect errors when calling Scilla contracts with EVM applications directly in the transaction receipt.
Various other enhancements have been added around EVM compatibility, including support for integer block numbers in ETH APIs and a range of bug fixes.
Efficiency improvements and migration to GCP
The Zilliqa infrastructure team is working continuously to improve the performance, efficiency, and reliability of the Zilliqa network as we approach the launch of Zilliqa 2.0.
As with other network upgrades, Zilliqa v9.3.0 includes several changes to improve network efficiency and stability.
These include the addition of header hash parameters to improve mining efficiency and refinements to CODEHASH to improve contract processing performance.
The Zilliqa team has also begun migrating the infrastructure it operates to Google Cloud Platform (GCP), following a strategic alliance struck between Zilliqa and Google Cloud last year.
Migration to GCP will improve the efficiency of infrastructure and APIs operated by Zilliqa and will also lead to reduced downtime for future network upgrades.
For a full list of the changes included in Zilliqa v9.3.0, read the release notes below:
- Release Notes – Zilliqa v9.3.0
- Release Notes – Scilla v0.13.4
If you are experiencing any issues interacting with the Zilliqa network following this upgrade, please read our notes on issues raised post-upgrade, or open a ticket on our Discord.
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