What Is the Avalanche Granite Upgrade?

Avalanche’s upcoming Granite upgrade introduces several important changes to how the network processes transactions, verifies cross-chain messages, and handles authentication. It went live on the Fuji Testnet on October 29, 2025, before moving to the mainnet at a later date.

The upgrade includes three Avalanche Consensus Proposals (ACPs): ACP-181, ACP-204, and ACP-226. Together, they aim to make Avalanche faster, safer, and more developer-friendly.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

• ACP-181 improves cross-chain communication through P-Chain Epoched Views.
• ACP-204 adds secp256r1 cryptographic curve support for biometric authentication.
• ACP-226 introduces dynamic minimum block times to reduce transaction delays.

These changes are designed to improve Avalanche’s reliability and efficiency as it continues expanding as a major Layer-1 blockchain.

Enhancing Cross-Chain Messaging with ACP-181

Before Granite, Avalanche’s P-Chain pointers were updated every block. This caused problems for developers, as cross-chain messages could fail whenever the validator set changed mid-verification.

ACP-181 fixes this issue using Epoched Views. The P-Chain height now remains fixed during each epoch — roughly every 5 to 10 minutes. This stability ensures all validators view the same reference point for cross-chain message verification.

Key Improvements for Developers

• Cheaper verification: Reduced computational overhead means lower costs.
• Fewer failed messages: Fixed P-Chain height reduces the risk of invalid cross-chain messages.
• More predictability: Consistent validator views improve reliability for multi-chain apps.

Developers building on Avalanche’s subnets and Layer-1 chains can now rely on a more stable interchain environment, making it easier to build large-scale decentralized applications that communicate across multiple networks.

Introducing Biometric Authentication with ACP-204

ACP-204 brings support for the secp256r1 elliptic curve, enabling modern biometric-based authentication methods — such as fingerprint and facial recognition — to work directly within decentralized applications (dApps).

This makes Avalanche one of the first Layer-1 blockchains to natively support biometric signature verification, a significant step for security and user experience.

What This Means for Users

Users can now log into dApps using secure biometric options instead of passwords. This reduces risks tied to lost credentials or phishing attempts while improving accessibility.

Potential Use Cases

• Digital identity verification
• Healthcare record management
• KYC/AML-compliant financial apps
• Access control for enterprise systems

Benefits for Developers

Developers can now integrate TouchID, FaceID, or other biometric methods directly into dApps. This supports both consumer and enterprise-grade use cases that demand strong identity assurance.

By using secp256r1, Avalanche expands its cryptographic options while maintaining compatibility with existing industry standards used in secure hardware devices and browsers.

Enabling Faster Transactions with ACP-226

The third major improvement under Granite, ACP-226, introduces dynamic minimum block times — a feature that lets validators automatically adjust how quickly new blocks are created.

Previously, changing block times required a full network upgrade. Now, validators can fine-tune block intervals on the fly to respond to network performance and demand.

How Dynamic Block Times Work

• Adaptive speed: Validators adjust block creation times based on network health.
• Stake-weighted consensus: The network balances speed and stability through validator agreement.
• Continuous optimization: Block times evolve naturally with new performance upgrades like Streaming Asynchronous Execution (SAE) and Firewood Database support.

Benefits for Users and Developers

• Faster transactions: Near-instant confirmations with lower latency.
• Better scalability: Efficient performance even during high traffic.
• No downtime: Updates occur automatically without requiring hard forks.

This flexibility ensures Avalanche remains one of the fastest Layer-1 blockchains, capable of supporting advanced financial systems, real-time gaming, and large-scale institutional applications.

Why the Granite Upgrade Matters

Granite is a foundation for Avalanche’s long-term scalability and interoperability goals.

For Developers

• Predictable cross-chain behavior with stable validator sets.
• Lower verification costs and reduced development complexity.
• New biometric tools for secure, password-free applications.
• Dynamic performance tuning for faster execution.

For Users

• Faster and cheaper transactions during peak demand.
• Biometric logins for safer and easier access to dApps.
• Consistent reliability across subnets and partner chains.

These updates reflect Avalanche’s focus on real-world usability — emphasizing performance, security, and cross-chain functionality rather than hype or speculation.

Timeline and Node Operator Requirements

The Granite Testnet activates on October 29, 2025, at 11 AM ET (3 PM UTC). Mainnet deployment will follow once testing and validation are complete.

Node Operators Must Upgrade

• Mainnet: Upgrade to AvalancheGo v1.14 or later before activation.
• Fuji Testnet: Use v1.14-fuji. Older versions (<v1.14) will not work.
• Plugin Compatibility: Update all plugins to version 44.

Failure to upgrade will prevent a node from participating in consensus. The pre-release testnet version cannot be used on mainnet and will display “mainnet is not supported” if attempted.

This ensures network-wide compatibility and smooth activation of the new protocol features.

Setting the Stage for Future Improvements

Granite also prepares Avalanche for future network-level optimizations, including:

• Streaming Asynchronous Execution (SAE) for parallelized transaction handling.
• Firewood Database for faster and more efficient data management.

These advancements will further strengthen Avalanche’s ability to support high-throughput, low-latency applications — from DeFi and real-world assets (RWAs) to institutional finance and consumer platforms.

Avalanche already supports over 75 million active addresses and has seen a consistent rise in on-chain activity. The network burns all its transaction fees in AVAX, reducing supply while maintaining sustainability.

The Granite upgrade ensures the system continues to scale effectively as adoption grows, supported by major partnerships with Toyota, SkyBridge Capital, and FIFA, and participation in initiatives like Wyoming’s state stablecoin program.

Conclusion

The Avalanche Granite upgrade improves how the network communicates, authenticates, and scales. Through ACP-181, ACP-204, and ACP-226, it strengthens interchain reliability, introduces biometric authentication, and enables adaptive block times.

Together, these features make Avalanche more efficient, secure, and adaptable for users, developers, and institutions alike. Granite focuses on practical, measurable upgrades that improve how the Avalanche network functions right now.

Resources:

1. Avalanche X platform: https://x.com/avax

2. About Avalanche Granite Upgrade: https://build.avax.network/blog/granite-upgrade

3. MON : Orchestrating Trust into Mobility Ecosystems - report by Toyota: https://www.toyota-blockchain-lab.org/library/mon-orchestrating-trust-into-mobility-ecosystems

4. Scaramucci's Skybridge Capital to Tokenize $300M in Hedge Funds on Avalanche - report by CoinDesk: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/08/19/scaramucci-s-skybridge-capital-to-tokenize-usd300m-in-hedge-funds-on-avalanche

5. Announcement: FRNT Goes Live: The First U.S. State-Issued Stablecoin You Can Actually Use: https://www.avax.network/about/blog/frnt-goes-live-the-first-u-s-state-issued-stablecoin-you-can-actually-use

6. Announcement: FIFA Selects Avalanche to Power Its FIFA Blockchain for Football’s Web3 Future: https://www.avax.network/about/blog/fifa-selects-avalanche-to-power-its-fifa-blockchain-for-footballs-web3