Deep Dive
1. Interstellar Hard Fork (16 September 2026)
Overview: This mandatory mainnet upgrade brought VeChainThor's execution layer to full equivalence with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). For everyday users, it means the network can now natively run applications and smart contracts built for Ethereum without modification.
The fork integrated 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) from Ethereum's Cancun, Prague, and Osaka upgrades. Key technical additions include transient storage for more gas-efficient smart contracts, and native support for advanced cryptographic schemes (BLS12-381 and secp256r1). The latter enables smoother logins using passkeys or hardware wallets. The upgrade required all node operators and validators to update their client software to version v2.5.0 to stay on the canonical chain.
What this means: This is bullish for VTHO because it makes the VeChainThor blockchain significantly more attractive to developers. By removing technical barriers, it could lead to a surge in new applications and smart contract deployments, which directly increases demand for VTHO to pay for transaction "gas."
(NullTX)
2. Hayabusa Upgrade (December 2025)
Overview: This was a foundational upgrade that fundamentally changed how VTHO is created and destroyed. It shifted the network's consensus to Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) and introduced the StarGate staking platform.
The most critical change was tying all new VTHO generation exclusively to VET that is actively staked. This replaced the old model where VTHO was passively generated by all VET holders, reducing the rate of new VTHO entering circulation by roughly 50%. Simultaneously, the upgrade mandated that 100% of the base fee for every transaction is permanently burned (removed from supply).
What this means: This is bullish for VTHO because it created a deflationary mechanism. Higher network usage now directly burns VTHO, while the supply of new tokens is tighter and tied to staking participation. This new economic model aims to directly link VTHO's value to actual blockchain utility.
(Gate.io Blog)
3. Galactica Upgrade (July 2025)
Overview: This upgrade overhauled the network's fee structure to provide more predictable costs, a key feature for enterprise adoption. It implemented a dynamic fee market inspired by Ethereum's EIP-1559.
Under this system, each transaction has a "base fee" that is algorithmically adjusted based on network congestion and is permanently burned. Users can also add a "priority tip" to incentivize validators to include their transaction faster. This structure helps prevent fee spikes during high demand.
What this means: This is neutral to bullish for VTHO. While it doesn't change supply dynamics as drastically as Hayabusa, it improves the user and developer experience by making costs more stable and transparent. A better experience can foster greater adoption, which in turn increases VTHO consumption.
(Bullish)
Conclusion
VeChainThor's codebase has undergone a deliberate, multi-phase transformation through the Galactica, Hayabusa, and Interstellar upgrades, evolving from a proprietary enterprise chain into a fully EVM-compatible, deflationary gas token platform. The combined effect is a blockchain better positioned for developer adoption and a token (VTHO) with economics explicitly tied to network usage. Will the surge in developer activity following Interstellar be sufficient to activate the deflationary tokenomics established by Hayabusa?