Cronos (CRO) EVM Mainnet to Launch 'Smarturn' Upgrade Enhancing Protocol Efficiency
Jessie A Ellis Oct 16, 2025 05:44
Cronos (CRO) is set to introduce its 'Smarturn' upgrade on October 30, 2025, enhancing the EVM mainnet with new features like smart accounts and improved interoperability.
The Cronos (CRO) EVM Mainnet is preparing for a significant enhancement with the upcoming v1.5 'Smarturn' upgrade, which is scheduled for release on October 30, 2025. This update promises to introduce substantial improvements across the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), including the introduction of smart accounts, new opcodes, and enhanced interoperability with the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol, according to Cronos.
Key Features of the Smarturn Upgrade
One of the central features of the Smarturn upgrade is the support for smart accounts through EIP-7702. This proposal allows Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) to function similarly to smart contract accounts, offering enhanced flexibility and functionality for decentralized applications (DApps) and users. Traditionally, EOAs could only handle simple transactions signed with a private key. In contrast, smart contract accounts could execute custom logic but required separate contract deployment.
With EIP-7702, EOAs can now mimic smart contracts, enabling programmable wallet logic and the ability to bundle multiple transactions into a single operation. This upgrade supports custom permission rules and offers flexible gas payment management without requiring users to migrate funds or change account types.
Enhanced Protocol Performance
The upgrade also aligns Cronos's EVM with Ethereum’s Cancun and Prague forks by updating to go-ethereum v1.15.11. This update introduces new EVM opcodes such as TSTORE, TLOAD, and MCOPY, which enhance efficiency and developer experience. TSTORE and TLOAD allow for transient storage, reducing gas costs for contracts needing temporary data storage. MCOPY optimizes memory operations, significantly lowering gas costs for array and buffer operations.
Improved Interoperability and Transaction Management
In addition to protocol improvements, Cronos is enhancing its RPC capabilities with the addition of the eth_getBlockReceipts endpoint. This allows for the retrieval of all transaction receipts from a block in a single query, streamlining data access for analytics and monitoring tools.
The upgrade also introduces transaction replacement in the mempool, allowing users to resubmit pending transactions with higher gas prices or priority fees. This feature enhances transaction throughput and responsiveness, particularly during periods of high network traffic.
IBC Integration and Future Prospects
Cronos has upgraded to ibc-go v10.1.1, adopting the latest IBC v2 architecture to improve cross-chain performance. This integration reduces latency and simplifies the development process for new applications, including those connecting with Ethereum. The Cronos team is also exploring partnerships with the Interchain Foundation to expand IBC’s capabilities through the Eureka extension, promising further benefits for developers and the ecosystem.
The Cronos team is committed to advancing the network's infrastructure, making it faster, smarter, and more interoperable. Stakeholders can look forward to continued updates and the release of a comprehensive Smarturn upgrade guide for node operators.
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