Hibiscus V7 celestia upgrade brings ZK security and streamlined cross-chain transfers

Set for mid-March, the Hibiscus V7 celestia upgrade aims to refine interoperability and sovereignty for networks built on the modular data availability layer.

Key features of the Hibiscus V7 release

The Hibiscus (V7) release for Celestia is scheduled for mid-March and targets a long-standing tradeoff between sovereignty and interoperability. By tightening how networks interact, it makes rollups and app-chains built on Celestia feel more unified, while preserving their independence.

Moreover, the upgrade introduces two major capabilities to improve cross-chain operations. First, a new forwarding module focuses on user-friendly token routing via Hyperlane. Second, a ZK Interchain Security Module (ZK ISM) provides cryptographic verification for interchain messages, designed for high-value and trust-minimised activity.

CIP-45: Forwarding module for streamlined token routing

CIP-45 delivers a forwarding module that enables single-signature token transfers across chains through Hyperlane. Previously, users often had to sign multiple transactions when sending assets from one chain, through Celestia, to a final destination chain, which added friction and operational risk.

Now, users send tokens to deterministically derived forwarding addresses that cryptographically bind to a specific destination and recipient. However, the actual transfer is executed by permissionless relayer execution, which forwards funds to the pre-committed address. This gives Hyperlane routes the same multi-hop convenience that IBC‘s Packet Forward Middleware already provides for IBC-based transfers.

That said, this design maintains non-custodial guarantees while hiding routing complexity from end users. It is especially relevant for applications that expect frequent cross-chain movements but want to keep the signing flow simple and predictable.

CIP-46: ZK Interchain Security Module

CIP-46 introduces a zero-knowledge proof-based Hyperlane Interchain Security Module (x/zkism), adding cryptographic security to cross-chain messaging. It currently uses Groth16 verification to support trust-minimised validation of messages instead of relying purely on trusted multisig validators.

With this module, networks can configure their own proof-based security using SP1 prover programs, with planned future support for other ZK virtual machines such as Risc0. Moreover, this flexibility allows verification of consensus proofs, TEE-based attestations, or full ZK execution proofs for interchain transfers relayed through Celestia.

The new ZK ISM lets applications choose between multisig-based or cryptographic proof-based verification depending on their risk profile. While proof generation can be more expensive and introduce additional latency compared to a multisig ISM, it offers stronger guarantees suitable for large-value transfers, institutional flows, or ecosystems that prioritise trustlessness over speed.

In this context, the celestia upgrade strengthens Hyperlane as a foundation for secure, programmable cross-chain messaging and helps align security assumptions across interconnected rollups.

CIP-44: Adjusting validator commission bounds

CIP-44 focuses on validator economics. It raises the maximum validator commission rate from 25% to 60%, while also increasing the protocol-enforced minimum commission from 10% to 20%. This adjustment follows the reduction in protocol inflation that came with the previous network upgrade.

Consequently, the new bounds are meant to allow validators to run more sustainable operations as rewards compress over time. Validators currently charging less than 20% commission will be automatically migrated to a 20% rate at the moment of the upgrade, ensuring consistent baseline economics across the active set.

Consensus pruning improvements for node operators

The Hibiscus (V7) release also revises block retention rules for consensus nodes. Now, operators can set the pruning window for consensus nodes as low as 3,000 blocks, which corresponds to roughly the last five hours of chain history in typical conditions.

Previously, the minimum retention requirement was around 14 days of blocks, imposing heavier storage needs and maintenance costs. However, the lower window gives node operators more flexibility to manage disk usage, particularly for high-throughput chains that generate large volumes of block data.

Rollout across testnets and mainnet

The V7 release is rolling out in stages across different Celestia-based networks. The arabica network is already live with the upgrade, serving as an early environment for testing real-world behaviour.

Meanwhile, the mocha testnet is upgrading imminently, providing another step before mainnet deployment. Mainnet activation is scheduled for mid-March, subject to the usual checks and operational readiness across validators, infrastructure providers, and application builders.

Who should pay attention to Hibiscus V7

Teams building high-throughput, low-latency exchanges or payment-focused chains stand to benefit the most from Hibiscus. Moreover, protocols that depend heavily on cross-chain flows may find the combination of multi-hop-style Hyperlane routing and zk interchain security especially attractive.

Developers seeking more scalable infrastructure are encouraged to reach out to Celestia’s ecosystem team, including the Head of Partnerships, known as @0xNoroc, to explore how these new capabilities can support production-ready deployments.

Overall, Hibiscus (V7) marks a meaningful evolution in Celestia’s modular stack, combining more flexible economics, leaner node operations, and stronger interoperability guarantees for the next wave of on-chain applications.