Announcing Upgrade 19
May 7, 2026
Metal L2: Upcoming Hardfork (Upgrade 19)
Today, the Metallicus team is proposing activation of Upgrade 19 on Metal L2.
This upgrade aligns Metal L2 with the latest OP Stack release and helps ensure the network remains stable and secure during the transition period leading up to the Homecoming migration. Approving Upgrade 19 keeps Metal L2 fully maintained while we prepare to migrate to a sovereign Metal Blockchain subnet, as authorized by MIP-002: Homecoming (https://metalhomecoming.com).
What Is Upgrade 19?
Upgrade 19 is the latest hardfork from OP Labs, introducing several improvements across the OP Stack:
L2CM (L2 Contract Manager) — streamlined contract management for L2 chains
OPCMv2 — second iteration of the OP Contracts Manager
CANNON_KONA — promoted to the respected fault proof game type
Osaka EIPs — activated on L2, bringing newer Ethereum standards
Glamsterdam Defense — additional defense mechanisms in the fault proof system
The full technical specification is available in the OP Labs notice:
https://docs.optimism.io/notices/upgrade-19
Why This Matters
Even though Metal L2 is preparing to migrate to a sovereign Metal Blockchain subnet, the OP Stack deployment remains operational throughout the migration period.
During this transition period, maintaining compatibility with the Superchain remains important for operational continuity, integrations, and network security.
This helps ensure:
Operational continuity — preventing compatibility issues during migration
Exchange and partner integrations — ensuring uninterrupted support
User experience — maintaining a stable network for current users
Network security — staying current with the latest fault proof improvements
Important Operator Requirements
Chain operators and node operators must upgrade all required off-chain components before activation.
⚠️ op-geth and op-program will no longer support Upgrade 19.
Operators must migrate to:
op-rethkona-client
before activation.
End of support for legacy components is scheduled for 31 May 2026.
Permissionless fault proof chains must also configure op-challenger for cannon-kona ahead of the upgrade.
What This Means for Application Developers
Most applications running on Metal L2 will be unaffected by Upgrade 19. However, developers should review the updated gas limit behavior outlined in the OP Labs notice and verify compatibility with their deployments.
Activation Timeline
Activation timestamps for Sepolia and Mainnet have not yet been published by OP Labs.
Metal L2 will follow the official OP Stack activation schedule once announced.
Vote on the Proposal
The Upgrade 19 proposal is now open for voting on Metal DAO governance.
Voting options:
YES — Approve Upgrade 19
NO — Reject the upgrade
ABSTAIN — No preference
If approved, the Metal L2 engineering team will schedule activation once official OP Labs timestamps are released.
Vote on the proposal: https://gov.xprnetwork.org/communities/4/proposals/69fb83f48bf261930c09aeef
Looking Ahead
Upgrade 19 is part of our ongoing commitment to maintain Metal L2 throughout the Homecoming migration.
While Metal L2’s long-term direction is the Metal Blockchain subnet architecture, we remain committed to maintaining the current OP Stack deployment securely and responsibly throughout the transition.
For more on the broader migration plan, visit:
https://metalhomecoming.com
— The Metallicus Team
