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Monad Testnet Release v0.13.0 - MONAD_NINE Hard Fork Scheduled (Mar 10, 14:30 GMT)

This is a mandatory upgrade: nodes not on v0.13.0 before activation will stop functioning at the hard fork boundary.

BitCtrl Ops•Node Operations Desk•Mar 5, 2026•4 min read
Monad v0.13.0 MONAD_NINE hard fork operator upgrade visual

Monad Testnet Release v0.13.0 - MONAD_NINE Hard Fork Scheduled (Mar 10, 14:30 GMT)

Overview

Monad Foundation has published v0.13.0 for testnet, activating the MONAD_NINE hard fork on March 10, 2026 at 14:30 GMT (timestamp 1773153000). This is a mandatory upgrade window: nodes not running v0.13.0 before activation will fall out of compatibility at the fork boundary.

BitCtrl has already upgraded the Monad testnet node fleet to v0.13.0 and validated health under production-style monitoring. This early rollout reflects our operations policy: execute mandatory upgrades ahead of deadline, verify validator/BFT/RPC service integrity, and keep client-facing endpoints stable through fork windows. Running ahead of activation gives us buffer for regression checks and protects uptime as network load rises.

Context

Operationally, this is a drop-in upgrade from v0.12.7. No node.toml changes and no systemd override changes are required; operators only need package reinstall, service restart, and version verification.

Protocol Changes in MONAD_NINE

  • MIP-3: linear EVM memory implementation
  • MIP-4: reserve balance precompile
  • MIP-5: Osaka fork activation (CLZ opcode / EIP-7939)

RPC Behavior Changes for Infra Consumers

  • latest blocktag now returns proposed blocks rather than finalized blocks, reducing response latency for calls such as eth_getBalance and eth_call.
  • newHeads websocket subscriptions now emit voted blocks before finalization, providing earlier downstream notifications.

Operator Checklist (Testnet)

  1. Upgrade package
sudo apt update && sudo apt install --reinstall monad=0.13.0 -y --allow-downgrades --allow-change-held-packages
  1. Restart services
sudo systemctl restart monad-bft monad-execution monad-rpc
  1. Verify services and version
sudo systemctl status monad-bft monad-execution monad-rpc --no-pager -l
monad-rpc --version

Mainnet Watch Window

The same release notice lists a mainnet MONAD_NINE activation timestamp on March 19, 2026 at 14:30 GMT (1773930600). Testnet completion this week should be treated as an operational readiness gate for mainnet rollout planning.

Sources

Key Takeaways
  • Mandatory testnet hard fork: MONAD_NINE activates on March 10, 2026 at 14:30 GMT (timestamp 1773153000).
  • BitCtrl is already upgraded: our testnet fleet is on v0.13.0 with pre-fork checks completed for validator and RPC continuity.
  • Protocol payload includes MIP-3 linear memory, MIP-4 reserve balance precompile, and MIP-5 Osaka/CLZ activation.
  • RPC behavior changes are immediate: latest returns proposed blocks and newHeads emits voted blocks pre-finalization.
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