Kaspa Initiates Final Hardfork Test Ahead Of Toccata Mainnet Launch

@Kaspaunchained has confirmed that Kaspa is carrying out the final hardfork rehearsal on Testnet-10 (TN10), the last major validation step before the Toccata upgrade goes live on mainnet.

What the Toccata Upgrade Brings

Toccata is far more than a routine protocol tweak. The upgrade will fundamentally change Kaspa from a payments-focused chain to a programmable Layer 1 by introducing native KRC-20 tokens, covenant programming via SilverScript, and zero-knowledge verification opcodes. In practical terms, this opens the door to decentralised finance applications and NFTs settling directly on the Kaspa base layer.

The upgrade is non-backward-compatible, meaning all node operators must update their software before the fork activates. Toccata marks the point where Kaspa's high-frequency monetary base layer meets programmability in two layered forms: native L1 covenant systems, and based ZK systems built on top of the same foundations.

Testing Process and Mainnet Timeline

Developers are running the rehearsal using the latest Rusty-Kaspa source code, stress-testing consensus stability and high-throughput block processing under simulated load. Dedicated $KAS CPU mining software has been deployed during the validation window to ensure decentralised network participation throughout the process.

The plan calls for scheduling a test hardfork over the long-term TN10 in order to simulate a full mainnet-style transition. Passing this rehearsal clears the path for the core team to hardcode the mainnet activation date. The major Toccata hardfork has entered its final phase, with code freeze achieved on April 15, 2026, and mainnet activation scheduled for a window between June 5 and June 20, 2026.

The remaining work is not about expanding scope further, but about freezing the right interfaces, rehearsing the transition properly, and bringing this to mainnet in a way the ecosystem can rely on, while keeping the underlying L1 lean, sound, and stable.

Sources:
Kaspa Covenants++ Toccata Hard-Fork Outlook by Michael Sutton (Medium)
Kaspa Developer Docs and Toccata Feature Overview (kaspa.org)