Etherlink developers have introduced Ganesha, the proposed seventh mainnet kernel upgrade and the most substantial expansion of the network’s scope since launch. If approved by Tezos Layer 1 bakers, Etherlink 7.0 would add a native Michelson interface and cross-interface atomic composability, moving the network beyond its current EVM-centered design.
The upgrade is not yet active on mainnet. Developers said they intended to submit the activation proposal through Etherlink’s slow governance track on August 3, with the proposal and promotion periods tied to Tezos block levels that may shift with network timing. Ganesha therefore remains subject to baker support and the complete governance process.
One Ledger Would Support Two Execution Interfaces
Etherlink currently provides Ethereum compatibility through EVM bytecode and Ethereum-style RPCs. Ganesha would add Michelson contracts, Tezos operations and tz1, tz2 and tz3 accounts as first-class participants on the same ledger. The design brings Tezos-native applications onto Etherlink without relying on a separate bridge between the two execution environments.
Native Atomic Composability, or NAC, would connect the interfaces through gateways on both sides. Tezos accounts could hold and use assets created through the EVM interface, while Ethereum accounts and smart contracts could call Michelson applications. Both sides of a cross-interface transaction would succeed or revert together, avoiding partial state changes and additional reconciliation between separate chains.
The architecture is intended to establish core infrastructure for Tezos X, a unified execution environment secured by Tezos Layer 1. Existing Tezos wallets, indexers and applications could interact with Etherlink through a subset of Octez node RPCs, while Solidity developers would retain familiar EVM tooling. The proposal aims to combine two development ecosystems without forcing either one to abandon its native interface.
Ganesha does not deliver complete Michelson parity at launch. Tz4 accounts and several features, including BLS, Sapling, tickets and timelocks, are not supported in the proposed release. Consensus, staking, delegation, governance and smart-rollup operations also remain outside Etherlink’s Michelson interface. The expansion is broad but deliberately limited to execution and application interoperability.
Baker Governance Will Determine Mainnet Activation
Etherlink’s slow kernel process includes proposal, promotion and cooldown stages. A leading proposal must first receive at least 1% of total voting power; adoption later requires 5% participation and a 75% supermajority among decisive votes. Passing those thresholds would still be followed by an approximately one-day cooldown before activation can be triggered.
Node operators would also need Octez EVM node version 0.64 to support the upgrade fully. Older infrastructure could face regressions or feature failures, and nodes must be restarted after activation to expose the Michelson-compatible RPCs. Ganesha is therefore both a governance decision and an operational migration for Etherlink providers.
The proposal’s significance lies in its execution model rather than an immediate market event. If approved, Etherlink would evolve from an EVM-focused rollup into a shared environment where Michelson and Ethereum applications can interact atomically on one ledger. That outcome would mark a foundational step toward Tezos X, but mainnet implementation still depends on the vote and subsequent activation.