Forkless upgrades

Seamless updates to the protocol without creating chain splits—continuity at its best.

What are forkless upgrades?

Forkless upgrades allow blockchain networks to evolve without disrupting the user experience or splitting the chain into competing versions. Instead of requiring hard forks, where users must choose which chain to follow, forkless upgrades deliver changes to the protocol automatically through onchain governance. This means the network can evolve continuously and securely, without downtime or manual intervention from node operators.

On Polkadot, forkless upgrades are built into the protocol. Once a proposal is approved through community governance, the upgrade is scheduled and executed by the chain itself. This process ensures smoother development cycles, faster innovation, and a more cohesive network.

Why do forkless upgrades matter?

Traditional blockchains often rely on hard forks to introduce major changes, which can be risky and divisive. Forkless upgrades reduce this friction, making it easier to fix bugs, improve performance, and launch new features without fragmenting the community.

Polkadot’s built-in upgrade system makes it possible to iterate quickly while preserving security and stability. For developers, it means less overhead. For users, it means the network keeps getting better without them having to do anything.

How are forkless upgrades implemented on Polkadot?

Polkadot upgrades are executed through its onchain governance system, OpenGov. Once a new runtime is proposed and approved by the Polkadot DAO, the change is automatically enacted by the network without requiring node operators to manually update their software. This process ensures seamless transitions and minimizes downtime or disruptions. All upgrade logic is written in WebAssembly (WASM), which is stored directly onchain and executed by all nodes, keeping the network in sync.