Merlin Chain, best known as the Bitcoin anchor L2 network with smart contract capabilities, has announced a robust mainnet upgrade. The purpose of this exclusive mainnet upgrade is to improve ZK verification on Merlin Chain. As Merlin Chain revealed in an official X post, the development aims to advance zero-knowledge (ZK) validation structures, validator nodes, and sequencer nodes. Therefore, the goal of this move is to mine the ZK verification infrastructure directly connected to Bitcoin mainnet.
⚠️Mainnet upgrade announcement
Merlin Chain will undergo a comprehensive upgrade of the ZK infrastructure, sequencer nodes, and internal validator nodes to explore the ZK validation architecture based on Bitcoin mainnet and lay the foundation for future network improvements.
— Merlin Chain (@MerlinLayer2) November 7, 2025
Merlin Chain carries out its own mainnet upgrade to enhance scalability and security
With the new mainnet upgrade, Merlin Chain is evolving its ZK verification mechanism. This paves the way for future scalability and improved network security. Notably, the upgrade is scheduled to start on November 7th at 12:00 PM (UTC). Additionally, the estimated downtime for the upgrade is reported to be 24-48 hours.
The platform, included in Merlin Chain’s latest mainnet upgrade, aims to strengthen its position as the most advanced Bitcoin L2 solution. To this end, we are working hard to strengthen the underlying ZK infrastructure. In this regard, zero-knowledge proofs refer to cryptographic techniques for validating transactions without exposing sensitive data, and play an important role in improving blockchain efficiency and privacy. Therefore, with the integration of the Bitcoin-based ZK verification model, the platform focuses on ensuring a relatively decentralized and secure consensus mechanism.
Network operations are automatically restored after a new upgrade
According to Merlin Chain, the mainnet upgrade will allow users to access past transfers and account balances through a block explorer. Each effort ensures transparency along with seamless access to on-chain data while optimizing backend components. Once the upgrade is complete, the platform will automatically be restored to normal operation.

