As Mina continues on the Road to Mesa Upgrade, this next proposal focuses on something critical for the network’s long-term health. While the other MIPs improve the performance of the protocol and the performance and complexity of zkApps, this proposal is about making the upgrade process much easier for node operators, exchanges and o1Labs. o1Labs is introducing an automated hard fork mechanism for Mina that lets nodes pre-migrate critical ledgers and generate the full fork configuration locally, in advance. By doing the heavy work before the cutover, node operators can transition automatically at fork time with minimal downtime, less risk, and no precisely timed manual steps.
In short: this proposal makes upgrades easier now — and more frequent and reliable in the future.
*Note: Although this proposal is being shared alongside the other MIPs for feedback, Mina’s MIP editors have determined that it will not be classified as an official MIP since it doesn’t directly modify the protocol itself.
However, because it has a meaningful impact on node operations and the broader upgrade process, we’re following the same community feedback path to ensure it’s well understood and tested by the ecosystem before Mesa.
What’s Changing?
- A new upgrade setting: “Automatic Flow” prepares everything ahead of time and then restarts at the cutover, ready to run on the new chain.
- Your node automatically creates the necessary configuration in your config folder, builds the new chain’s starting state from the prepared data, and restarts on the new chain.
Why it Matters?
- Lower operator burden: No more race-against-the-clock scripts or side-channel ledger downloads; the node prepares itself for upgrades.
- More secure and decentralized: Each node generates its own fork data locally, reducing reliance on shared external snapshots.
- Predictable cutovers: Migration costs are paid ahead of time; the switch happens in seconds, not minutes, even as MINA accounts grow.
- Robust failure handling: Integrity checks, preserved pre-fork state, and a documented legacy path provide safe recovery options.
- Future-proof upgrades: This repeatable process that scales as Mina grows paves the way for faster and more frequent subsequent forks with the same workflow.
Part of the Bigger Road to Mesa Story
- Slot Reduction MIP → More speed.
- Increasing Mina’s On-Chain State Limit → More expressive applications and simplify zkApp development.
- Increase Events & Actions Limit → More expressive applications.
- Increase zkApp Account Update Limit → More complex, efficient zkApps in fewer transactions.
- Automated Hard Fork Mechanism (this proposal) → Seamless, repeatable upgrade path for the future.
How to Get Involved
Although Mina’s community MIP editors have decided that this should be a feature and not an official MIP, we would still love your feedback.
- Join the conversation on Mina Research and leave comments with questions, concerns, or suggestions.
- We’ll be hosting a community call to discuss, so follow us on X to catch the livestream.