Taiko Provers Upgrade Deadline

Taiko Alethia’s Pacaya upgrade introduces whitelist-based preconfirmation, a key step toward enabling faster, permissionless transactions on its blockchain, with plans to roll out on the Hekla testnet in April 2025 and later on the mainnet.Preconfirmation, a concept gaining traction in Ethereum scaling, allows transactions to be validated before full block confirmation, reducing latency and improving gas efficiency, as explored by projects like Primev and Justin Drake’s “based preconfs” in 2023.The upgrade builds on Taiko’s earlier Ontake release, enhancing its rollup protocol’s ability to handle batch block proposals and simplified proving, aligning with broader layer-2 innovations on Ethereum to optimize performance and user experience.

The Pacaya Hardfork, scheduled at Block 1,166,000 on May 21, 2025, introduces based preconfirmations to Taiko Alethia, significantly reducing transaction confirmation times. This upgrade shifts away from the current contestable rollup design, enhancing user experience by streamlining transfers. Node operators must update to new software versions (e.g., taiko-alethia-client v1.5.1, raiko v1.8.0) to stay compatible, as announced by Taiko [Taiko X Post, 2025-05-17]. Recent NewsTaiko has been on a roll! Over the past three months, the team optimized their based rollup protocol, cutting L1 gas costs by over 30% while maintaining contract upgradability [Taiko Labs, mirror.xyz]. This hardfork follows rigorous testing on the Taiko Hekla testnet, ensuring stability for the mainnet rollout. Future PlansLooking ahead, Taiko’s roadmap includes the Ontake release, which will improve randomness in the min-tier selection process—a current design flaw—and introduce support for Cancun EVM opcodes (excluding EIP-4844) [Taiko Labs, mirror.xyz]. These updates aim to further enhance scalability and user accessibility, solidifying Taiko’s position in the Ethereum ecosystem. Onchain DataWhile specific onchain metrics for Taiko Alethia (e.g., transaction volume, active wallets) aren’t publicly available in the provided data, Taiko’s focus on gas optimization suggests growing adoption. For deeper insights, platforms like Dune Analytics could provide relevant rollup activity trends. Community SentimentReactions on X are mixed. Some users are excited about faster confirmations, with @Bharat_nakwall noting “Based pre-confs” while others, like @gwgwgwago, express skepticism, calling it a “scam” due to price concerns. This split highlights the need for Taiko to deliver on its promises to win over doubters. Risk DisclaimerHardforks can lead to temporary network disruptions or volatility. Ensure your node is updated to avoid issues, and stay cautious of market fluctuations.