Avalanche, a prominent layer-1 blockchain and the tenth largest by total value locked (TVL), has activated its highly anticipated ‘Avalanche9000’ upgrade (also known as the Etna upgrade). This landmark upgrade represents the most significant technical overhaul in the network’s history since its 2020 launch.
The upgrade, which has been in development for months, introduces a suite of improvements designed to reduce transaction costs, lower validator operating expenses, and streamline application development. Avalanche leadership has previously stated that a key objective of ‘Avalanche9000’ is to attract developers and encourage the creation of customized blockchains, known as subnets or “L1s,” using Avalanche’s technology.
The upgrade encompasses seven improvement proposals, with two standing out as particularly impactful: ACP-77 and ACP-125.
ACP-77 introduces a new, more cost-effective validator type, empowering users to launch their own subnets with greater ease and affordability. This aims to incentivize the creation of a wider array of Avalanche-based networks.
ACP-125 significantly reduces the base fee on Avalanche’s C-chain, the network’s smart contract platform. The fee has been slashed from 25 nAVAX (approximately $0.00000098) to just 1 nAVAX (approximately $0.00000004), making computation on the C-chain considerably cheaper. (One nAVAX represents one-billionth of an AVAX token.) Avalanche operates with two other primary chains: the P-chain, used for staking AVAX and operating validators, and the X-chain, designed for sending and receiving funds.
