MegaETH Sets Mainnet Date: All You Need to Know

MegaETH, the high-performance Ethereum layer-2 network, will launch its public mainnet on February 9, 2026. According to the project it is a "real-time" blockchain designed to deliver ultra-low latency and massive transaction throughput, claiming capabilities of 100,000 transactions per second with millisecond-level responsiveness while maintaining Ethereum compatibility. 

The launch represents a major milestone for a project that has attracted significant attention and capital throughout 2025, including a heavily oversubscribed $1.39 billion token sale in October.

The mainnet debut follows extensive stress testing where the network processed 10.7 billion transactions from Web3 games like Smasher, Crossy Fluffle, and Stomp.gg. This transaction volume in just a few days exceeds what Ethereum processed over nearly 11 years of operation.

Who Is Behind MegaETH?

MegaETH has attracted backing from prominent figures in the Ethereum ecosystem. The project's developers, operating as MegaLabs, count Ethereum co-founders Vitalik Buterin and Joe Lubin among their supporters. Additional backers include crypto venture firm Dragonfly Capital, EigenCloud founder Sreeram Kannan, and Helius founder Mert Mumtaz.

This high-profile backing has helped MegaETH secure millions of dollars in funding over the past year. The team allocation stands at 9.5% of the total token supply, which is modest compared to typical industry standards where teams often control 15% to 25% of tokens.

What Happened During the October Token Sale?

The October 2025 initial coin offering became one of the most oversubscribed public sales of the year. The sale, which aimed to raise $50 million, saw total commitments surpass $1.39 billion, representing nearly nine times the original target.

Sale Structure and Participation

The token sale for MEGA, MegaETH's native token, opened on October 27 and quickly filled its $50 million cap. Within hours, the offering attracted 11,534 wallets that had committed over $1.39 billion. The sale offered roughly 5% of the protocol's 10 billion MEGA supply, with participants able to bid between $2,650 and $186,282.

Key sale details included:

• Total supply: 10 billion MEGA
• Public sale allocation: 5% (500 million tokens)
• Raise cap: approximately $50 million
• Total commitments: over $1.39 billion
• Lock-up discount: 10% for one-year hold
• Maximum bid: $186,282
• Minimum bid: $2,650

Allocation Methodology

Due to heavy oversubscription, MegaLabs used a special mechanism to determine allocations. The company factored in user engagement, community history, social media activity, GitHub contributions, and lock-up selections when distributing tokens. This approach aimed to ensure fair access and prevent large-scale institutional dominance.

All participants were required to complete identity verification through the Sonar platform before bidding. The process used know-your-customer requirements in accordance with the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation. U.S. participants needed to qualify as accredited investors and were required to lock tokens for one year.

How Does MegaETH's Technology Work?

MegaETH describes itself as a next-generation Ethereum layer-2 network focused on real-time performance. The project aims to deliver sub-millisecond latency and throughput exceeding 100,000 transactions per second, addressing Ethereum's long-standing challenges of scalability and congestion.

Performance Testing Results

During stress testing, MegaETH demonstrated substantial transaction processing capabilities. Per reports, the network processed 10.7 billion transactions from Web3 games, falling just short of the team's 11 billion target. In earlier testing, the network hit up to 47,000 TPS before reaching 35,000 TPS during stress tests.

However, real-world performance may differ significantly from theoretical maximums. Other high-speed chains like Solana have a theoretical maximum of 65,000 TPS but achieve real-world throughput closer to 3,400 TPS, according to Token Terminal data.

Simon Dedic, founder and managing partner of crypto investment firm Moonrock Capital, participated in the stress test and noted that applications ran smoothly in real-time with no latency, congestion, or degraded user experience.

Sequencer Rotation System

MegaETH employs a single active sequencer that rotates across global regions, including Tokyo, the Netherlands, Northern Virginia, and Los Angeles. This rotation aligns with economic activity peaks and optimizes latency for different user concentrations.

Operators stake MEGA tokens to participate in selection for sequencer slots. Selection criteria include the amount staked, historical performance, and infrastructure standards. Operators that fail to meet requirements face slashing penalties, while standby operators provide failover capabilities. This system supports continuous 24-hour operations.

Proximity Markets

The network allows users to bid for server space adjacent to the sequencer, called colocation seats, by locking MEGA tokens. This gives market makers and applications low-latency access for tasks such as order submission and confirmation.

The seats are allocated dynamically and represented as tokens. An onchain indexer supplies real-time data to facilitate quick market responses. Applications in decentralized finance could benefit from reduced spreads and enhanced liquidity.

What Are MEGA Token's Tokenomics?

The MEGA token has a total supply capped at 10 billion units. The allocation prioritizes staking rewards and ecosystem incentives, with distribution details outlined in a whitepaper dated September 24, 2025.

Specific allocations include:

• 53.3% (5.33 billion tokens) for key performance indicator staking rewards
• 14.7% (1.47 billion tokens) for venture capital investors from the seed round
• 9.5% (0.95 billion tokens) for the team
• 5% (0.5 billion tokens) for public sale
• Remaining percentage for ecosystem reserves and other allocations

The emphasis on staking rewards at 53.3% represents an unusually high percentage dedicated to incentivizing network participation and decentralizing sequencing operations. The team allocation at 9.5% sits below typical industry standards.

MegaETH repurchased approximately 4.75% of its tokens from pre-seed investors before launch to streamline ownership and maintain a clear capitalization table.

What Applications Are Being Built on MegaETH?

Developers have already begun building applications on MegaETH's test network. The stress test featured Web3 games including Smasher, Crossy Fluffle, and Stomp.gg, which collectively generated 10.7 billion transactions.

Beyond gaming, the network targets use cases such as:

• On-chain trading platforms requiring instant execution
• Real-time gaming applications
• Decentralized infrastructure services
• Payment applications
• Prediction markets

MegaLabs announced last year that the blockchain would have a native stablecoin, USDm, backed by BlackRock's tokenized treasury fund and issued by Ethena. This stablecoin integration aims to provide stable liquidity for applications built on the network.

The project's technical goals position it for latency-sensitive applications where speed and consistency are critical. The low-latency infrastructure could enable new categories of onchain applications that previously required Web2 servers.

Conclusion

MegaETH launches its mainnet on February 9, 2026, with technical specifications claiming 100,000 TPS capacity and sub-millisecond latency. The network processed 10.7 billion transactions during stress testing and demonstrated 35,000 TPS under load, though real-world performance remains to be seen after mainnet launch.

The project raised approximately $450 million through an oversubscribed token sale in October 2025, offering 5% of the 10 billion MEGA supply. Token distribution allocates 53.3% to staking rewards, 14.7% to venture investors, and 9.5% to the team. The network employs a rotating sequencer system across global regions and offers proximity markets for low-latency access.

MegaETH has backing from Ethereum co-founders Vitalik Buterin and Joe Lubin, along with other prominent ecosystem figures. The network targets latency-sensitive applications including DeFi trading, gaming, and payment systems. Whether it can maintain claimed performance levels under real-world mainnet conditions will become clear after the February 9 launch.

Resources

1. MegaETH on X: Posts (January, 2026)

2. Report by DL News: Vitalik-backed MegaETH blockchain to launch in February

3. MegaETH MEGA token sale portal: MEGA token sale data 

4. MegaETH whitepaper: About MegaETH

5. Report by The Block: MegaETH's MiCA whitepaper reveals tokenomics with 9.5% team allocation, novel sequencer infrastructure features