Avalanche, a layer-1 blockchain established in 2020 and now ranked as the tenth-largest by total value locked (TVL), has successfully implemented its transformative Avalanche9000 upgrade as of Monday. This upgrade is touted as the most significant technical enhancement to the ecosystem thus far.

The network has been gearing up for these adjustments for months, introducing features aimed at reducing costs associated with sending transactions, operating validators, and developing applications. Leaders at Avalanche have expressed that a core objective of the upgrade is to attract developers to the platform, fostering the creation of customized blockchains using its technology, known as subnets or “L1s.”

The significant upgrade, also known as the Etna upgrade, comprises seven improvement proposals. Notably, two of the most impactful changes are denoted as ACP-77 and ACP-125.

ACP-77 introduces a new type of validator, allowing users to launch their own subnets. These new nodes are cheaper to operate, aiming to encourage more individuals to establish their own Avalanche-based networks.

ACP-125 lowers the base fee on the Avalanche main network that executes smart contracts—known as the C-chain—from 25 nAVAX (approximately $0.00000098) to just 1 nAVAX ($0.00000004). This change is intended to reduce costs for computations on that network. (For context, nAVAX represents one-billionth of one AVAX.) Avalanche consists of two other primary chains: the P-chain, used for AVAX staking and validator operations, and the X-chain, which facilitates the transfer of funds.

Ahead of this upgrade, the Avalanche Foundation disclosed that it raised $250 million in a token sale, with contributions from Galaxy Digital, Dragonfly, and ParaFi Capital.