- Celo today launches Isthmus Hardfork, bringing you important Ethereum EIP and OP stack upgrades.
- The upgrade includes Eigenda V2 integration to enhance L2 scalability and data processing.
Celo is attracting a lot of attention today as Hardfork Isthmus is officially launched on Mainnet on Wednesday, July 9th at 3pm. This hard fork is an important milestone that solidifies Cero’s position as an agile, cost-effective Ethereum tier 2, close to today’s Ethereum infrastructure. And yes, it is also part of the preparation for integration into modern data availability (DA) systems via Eigenda version 2.
Celo Mainnet Isthmus Hardfork is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9th at 3:00 PM UTC.
🔧Node Operator: Upgrade the client in advance.
crade details, versions and resources upgrade → https://t.co/hrfvlookwb
– Club (@clabs) July 7, 2025
Cello sharpens its edges with faster blocks and native bridges
Looking back, the Cello transition to Layer 2 was actually completed in March last year. The changes quickly became noticeable in terms of performance. Block time has dramatically decreased from 5 seconds to just 1 second.
Needless to say, the cross-chain bridging feature now runs natively directly on Ethereum without going through third parties. For those accustomed to quick and cheap trading, this certainly is exciting news.
Currently, isthmus is not just about block times and bridges. This hard fork also includes Ethereum Prague (aka Pectra) upgrade features such as the EIP-7702, 2537, 2935, and 7623. Essentially, Celo loses its trademark lightweight and user-friend network, in line with Ethereum’s latest developments.
Another interesting technical addition is to introduce an L2 breakaway route in the block header. This makes it easier and safer to draw from Layer 2 to Layer 1.
Cheap gas and make your wallet smarter in over 110 countries
Additionally, last April, Celo and Bando, popular Crypto wallet apps in developing countries, now allow Bando users to purchase phone credits and gift cards directly from their Crypto wallet balances. This feature is widely available. Can be used by over 110 countries. Also, optimised with a roll-up of optimism, the transaction is much smoother without drilling holes in your wallet for gas fees.
Additionally, Isthmus hardfork activates Holocene hard fork components, making gas management on the network more flexible.
This benefits both developers and users. For node operators, there is certainly an important homework. You must update the software to the latest version (Op-Geth V2.1.0, Op-Node V2.1.0, and Eigenda Proxy v1.8.2). If they forget, their nodes may miss the block after the hard fork.
Meanwhile, major exchanges are also wary. Serotoken deposits and withdrawals are temporarily suspended at 14:00 UTC, an hour before the hard fork. But don’t worry, trading activities continue as usual. Once the network is stable, these services will resume.
It’s not just technology that’s moving. The prices of cello tokens are also rising. At the time of writing, Cello is trading on approximately $0.3223-above 8.46% In the last 24 hours. Additionally, the amount of daily transactions has increased dramatically by over 100% to $96.48 million.
