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Upcoming ArcBlock Chain Upgrade Plan: Read-Only Cutover and a Web-Based, Zero-Protocol-Fee Bridge

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We plan to upgrade the ArcBlock blockchain to its next generation this month (November 2026), alongside a major overhaul of the Ethereum-ArcBlock Bridge workflow and fee structure.

  • Cutover process: At the start of the upgrade, the chain will briefly pause and enter a read-only state while the upgrade is applied. If everything goes as planned, users will migrate to the upgraded chain without disruption.
  • Existing wallets and dApps: No action is required. The protocol is fully backward-compatible, and current versions of wallets and dApps will continue to work without changes.
  • Ethereum-ArcBlock Bridge overhaul: Using the Bridge will no longer require DID Wallet or multi-stage operations, and we plan to completely eliminate the Bridge conversion protocol fee (users still pay Ethereum network gas fees).
  • Retirement of the legacy wallet bridge: Once the upgrade takes effect, the legacy Bridge feature inside DID Wallet will stop operating and be replaced by a new web-based Bridge interface.

Most token holders and dApp developers do not need to change anything. If you transfer assets between Ethereum and ArcBlock, see the Bridge transition details below.

Brief read-only cutover and full compatibility with existing apps

A major chain upgrade often forces application teams to rewrite integration code or asks users to manually migrate accounts. This upgrade avoids both at the protocol level.

When the upgrade window begins, we will briefly pause the chain and place it into a read-only state. During that window, on-chain state and historical records remain queryable while nodes switch to the new release. If all goes smoothly, the network will resume block production on the upgraded chain without requiring any manual migration from users.

Current versions of wallets and dApps are unaffected. Because the protocol remains fully compatible with existing clients, current accounts, signature checks and transaction interfaces continue to work as before.

Planned protocol and identity improvements in this upgrade

Beyond the smooth cutover and the upcoming Bridge experience, this upgrade delivers a major leap in both performance and security to meet the AI workload demands of an agentic blockchain, alongside a set of improvements across the transaction protocol, decentralized identity (DID) stack, and cross-chain settlement design:

  • Major performance and security gains for agentic blockchain AI workloads: Engineered for high-frequency AI agent interactions, verifiable execution, and scoped delegation, the upgraded chain significantly boosts throughput and protocol-level security to serve AI-native applications at scale.
  • Transaction protocol (TX Protocol) evolution and new primitives: Preserves full backward compatibility through a pluggable compatibility layer while retiring obsolete legacy rollup block transactions, and introduces composable TransactionBlock execution, Clear-Signing envelopes with post-condition checks, the universal Stake-for-X protocol family, a native on-chain exchange engine, encrypted sovereign NFTs, and programmable ValueCard settlement primitives.
  • DID, Passkey, and Verifiable Credential (VC) advancements: Adds unified multi-method DID resolution across did:abt, did:key, did:web, and did:name, native protocol-level Passkey / WebAuthn authentication and multi-sig support, key pre-rotation commitments for account migration, deterministic sub-account privacy derivation, and selective-disclosure credentials (SD-JWT / SD-VC).
  • Redesigned Bridge, Multi-Sig Vault, and direct cross-chain checkout: Replaces the legacy multi-stage rollup bridge originally built around gas amortization with a direct cross-chain architecture and cold/hot isolated Multi-Sig Vault, simplifying Ethereum-ArcBlock transfers and laying the foundation for purchasing on-chain services directly with external chain assets.

Once the chain upgrade is complete, we will publish a follow-up series walking through each of these protocol and feature improvements one by one.

What changes in the Ethereum-ArcBlock Bridge: no multi-stage steps, zero protocol fee

The most visible change in this upgrade is how the Ethereum-ArcBlock Bridge works.

Previously, moving assets between Ethereum and ArcBlock required pairing with DID Wallet, stepping through a multi-stage process, and paying a Bridge conversion protocol fee on top of network gas. Every extra confirmation step added friction to cross-chain transfers.

With this upgrade, we are making two changes to the Ethereum-ArcBlock Bridge:

  1. No DID Wallet requirement or multi-stage operations: You will no longer need DID Wallet or a multi-step confirmation sequence to use the Bridge. Cross-chain transfers will run through a new web-based user interface.
  2. Planned removal of the Bridge conversion protocol fee: We plan to drop the protocol fee for Bridge conversions to zero. Users will only pay the standard gas fee required by the Ethereum network itself.

What you need to do

Depending on how you use the network, here is what changes after the upgrade:

  • Wallet users and dApp developers: Nothing changes. You do not need to update wallet versions or modify application code. Once the brief read-only window ends, normal transactions resume automatically.
  • Ethereum-ArcBlock Bridge users: After the upgrade, use the new web-based Bridge interface for cross-chain conversions instead of the legacy Bridge entry inside DID Wallet.

We will share the exact maintenance window and the link to the new web-based Bridge interface in our community and official channels as the rollout begins.

Known limitations and transition notes

  • Brief read-only window at the start of the upgrade. While the chain is paused in read-only mode for the cutover, queries continue to work, but new transactions must wait until the upgrade finishes.
  • The legacy Bridge inside DID Wallet will stop working. Once the upgraded chain is live, the built-in Bridge feature in DID Wallet will be retired and can no longer initiate cross-chain transfers.
  • Possible brief interruption during the web Bridge handoff. We are working to bring the new web-based Bridge interface online right as the chain upgrade completes, but there may be a short service gap during the transition between the old and new interfaces.
  • Ethereum network gas fees still apply. Eliminating the Bridge conversion protocol fee removes the fee charged by the Bridge protocol; users still pay the Ethereum network gas required to execute Ethereum-side transactions.

Related links

If you have questions before or after the upgrade, reach out in our community channels:

Referenced here

Products

  • ArcBlock Chain active

    The application-focused Layer 1 for identity, assets and agreements. ArcBlock Chain brings these operations into the protocol, with ABT as the public network’s native token.

  • ArcBridge active

    Moves assets between the ArcBlock chain and other networks, operated by nodes that stand behind the transfers they relay.

  • DID Wallet renamed

    Create and manage a digital identity (DID) and its associated credentials in one app.