Protocol upgrade decouples consensus from execution to solve scaling bottlenecks

A groundbreaking protocol upgrade by MultiversX, called Supernova, has been deployed on the testnet, allowing for the separation of consensus from execution. This separation tackles a common bottleneck in high-performance blockchains where execution sits in the path of consensus, causing the network to slow down as the most complex transactions require more processing time. By decoupling the two processes, network nodes can reach agreement on blocks ahead of transaction execution, enabling faster overall performance.

Previous architectures would execute transactions within the block before confirming their validity, causing the network to become deterministic but reliant on computation speed. With Supernova's new structure, proposers select transactions and propose blocks without executing them first. Validators can then vote immediately, and execution continues asynchronously.

This change creates a delay between block production and execution, but the network employs a virtual mempool state to compensate. This mempool considers pending nonces, expected balance consumption, and proposed transactions that haven't passed consensus yet, giving proposers a forward-looking view of account activity.

To ensure safety, Supernova includes safeguards like the Execution-Result Inclusion Estimator, which caps the number of execution results that can be referenced in a block based on what minimum-spec nodes can safely process. Additionally, automatic backpressure reduces block capacity if execution falls behind, providing the system with time to catch up.

The upgrade aligns with Cointelegraph Decentralization Guardians' broader efforts with MultiversX, as MultiversX is a CTDG Dev Hub partner and the MultiversX Foundation delegated to the CTDG validator. Building on this relationship, a dedicated validator dashboard has been developed on MultiversX.

MultiversX's Supernova upgrade aims to deliver immediate onchain interactions, with blocks produced in 600 milliseconds on the testnet and devnet, paving the way for a more responsive blockchain infrastructure. Mainnet activation is expected to occur on September 10, 2026.