MIP-8 crossed its most consequential milestone this week: the August 12 hard fork made page-based storage the primary timeline on testnet, and Phase C (decommissioning the old slot-based database) is now underway. If you're running a validator, full-node, RPC, or archive node, this edition is mostly about you. Beyond the migration: MetaMask crossed one million gas-sponsored transactions on Monad, and Monad published a clearer statement of its core mission, open access to fair financial markets on neutral ground.
Validator Action Required
Testnet v0.16.0 Activated MONAD_TEN and MIP-8: August 12, 14:30 UTC
Testnet release v0.16.0 introduced the hard fork required to activate MONAD_TEN and MIP-8. Activation was scheduled for timestamp 1786545000, corresponding to August 12 at 14:30 UTC. Nodes needed the page-encoded timeline already established through Phase A before upgrading to this release, if you skipped Phase A, this upgrade won’t work correctly.
Monad Foundation rolled the validator upgrade out across three cohorts ahead of activation. Full-node, RPC, and archive operators could upgrade independently, outside the cohort schedule.
Security note tucked inside this release: v0.16.0 opens a new metrics endpoint on port 9143/TCP. Monad Foundation recommends blocking public internet access to this port through your firewall configuration. This is easy to miss inside a release note, check your firewall rules now rather than assuming default configuration handles it.
Upgrade instructions | v0.16.0 release notes
MIP-8 Phase C Begins After Testnet Activation
MIP-8 page-encoded storage is now active on testnet.
Nodes had been running in dual-database mode with both slot and page timelines available. Since the hard fork, Monad nodes use the page timeline as the active database, allowing operators to begin decommissioning the older slot timeline.
Validators are completing Phase C in cohorts, while full-node, RPC, and archive operators can perform the procedure independently.
Nodes that were hard reset after the MIP-8 hard fork do not need to complete the same decommissioning procedure. Detailed instructions are available:
MIP-8 Moves Into Page-Aware Storage on Testnet
Monad continued the staged rollout of MIP-8, which changes how EVM state is organized in the database.
Page-aware storage groups nearby storage slots onto the same disk page. Because database lookups operate at the page level, this reduces the inefficiency created when logically adjacent storage slots are hashed across separate pages.
Migration requires nodes to temporarily maintain both the existing slot-based database and the new page-based database. Monad divided that process into three phases.
Phase A, introduced through v0.15.2, enabled both databases to run in parallel. A supermajority of testnet and mainnet nodes completed that stage.
Phase B arrived through testnet v0.16.0. At the August 12 hard fork, the page-based database became the primary timeline and MIP-8 took effect on testnet, lowering gas costs for multiple state accesses that touch the same page.
Full MIP-8 migration documentation
Ecosystem Updates
Monad Refines Its Mission Around Open and Neutral Financial Markets
Monad described its mission as enabling open access to fair financial markets on neutral ground.
Open access refers to making global financial markets available more broadly rather than limiting users to fragmented local systems. Monad contrasted this with the internet, which made information globally accessible while financial infrastructure remains divided across jurisdictions, institutions, and closed systems.
Neutral ground focuses on allowing builders and financial participants to compete without an anchor tenant receiving preferential treatment. Monad argues that credibly neutral networks provide a stronger foundation for long-term competition than infrastructure controlled by a single company.
Read the full post here
MetaMask Passes One Million Gasless Transactions on Monad
MetaMask has processed more than one million gas-sponsored transactions on Monad.
Gas sponsorship allows users to interact with supported Monad applications through MetaMask without needing MON to pay transaction fees.
DeltaV Demo Day Heads to Open in Singapore
The first DeltaV Demo Day will take place during Open on October 6 in Singapore.
Seven startups will pitch to more than 50 venture capital investors during the event. Applications are now open to startups.
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