We're pleased to share that the XMTP Ropsten testnet migration has successfully completed. 100% of payloads have been migrated across all message types: commit messages, group messages, inbox logs, key packages, and welcome messages.
The migrator has processed the full backlog of both blockchain-bound and database-bound messages, and the network is now fully pre-seeded under the new contract set.
Over the next few days, the migrator will continue running in continuous mode to stay aligned with V3 traffic while we validate end-to-end client functionality and network behavior. Once validation is complete, the migrator will be turned off and testnet will be formally reopened for normal operations.
Where are we at?
This milestone puts us solidly in Stage 2 of XMTP's 4-stage decentralization roadmap, with Stage 1 (clean-slate testnet relaunch) now fully complete. Stage 2 focuses on validating that the network meets real-world performance needs across latency, throughput, and reliability.
Below are the latency targets for mainnet:
| Operation | Target (p95) | XMTP V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Sync a group | <100ms | ~100ms |
| Send message to group (including stream) | <400ms | ~250ms |
| Create a group with 100 members | <2.5s | ~4s |
| Register a single new identity | <1.5s | ~350ms |
| Add a new member to a 10-person group | <1.5s | ~250ms |
| Add a new member to a 250-person group | <1.5s | ~750ms |
| Group rename (10-member group) | <1.5s | ~100ms |
Throughput Requirements
The network needs to handle both current volume and expected growth:
- 1,000 offchain messages per second (burst)
- 50 onchain messages per second (burst)
- 10 million messages daily sustained throughput with 3 nodes
Reliability Standards
- 99.99% node reliability
- 0% fork rate in testing
- 100% integration test pass rate over 5 runs
You can track the progress of these performance benchmarks here:
https://xmtp.to/decentralization-metrics
User Scale
At mainnet launch, with 7 mainnet nodes online, the XMTP network could handle 10's of millions of users, sending ~10B messages every month.
As network usage grows we can expand capacity by adding more nodes, and by partitioning the network so that each node is only responsible for a subset of messaging traffic.
What鈥檚 next?
Once all targets are met, we'll enter Stage 3, a 60-day migration countdown during which all XMTP apps will need to migrate to a mainnet-compatible SDK and connect to a funded gateway.
Once testnet validation is complete, we'll begin a 60-day migration countdown. During this period, all XMTP apps will need to migrate to a mainnet-compatible SDK and connect to a funded gateway.
The mainnet-compatible SDKs will initially continue connecting to V3, ensuring no disruption while everyone prepares for the switch. Behind the scenes, we'll be deploying mainnet nodes and smart contracts while migrating data from V3 to mainnet.
That will be followed by Stage 4, a coordinated mainnet cutover where the V3 network signals clients to switch to the decentralized network. App developers should plan for approximately 30 minutes of downtime during that transition.
What This Means for Developers
If you're building on XMTP, here's what you need to know:
now is the time to connect to testnet and validate your integration.
- Now is the time to connect to testnet and validate your integration: You'll have 60 days once mainnet preparation begins, and all latency, throughput, and reliability targets have been met to upgrade your SDK and set up a gateway.Note: An XMTPD 1.2.0 release focused on performance and stability at scale is also on the way. More updates soon.
- Fund your gateway: Applications will need to maintain funded gateways to subsidize messaging fees for users.
- You can read more about how to fund your application here
- Members of the XMTP community are also developing payer gateway services such as GatewayHost.dev
- Monitor our updates: We'll be sharing progress against our validation criteria throughout this process.
Join Us
Decentralization isn't just about technology but rather about building a messaging infrastructure that no single person, company, or country can shut down or censor. We're taking this journey carefully and deliberately because we believe the future of communication should be open, resilient, and community-owned.
Stay tuned for updates as we hit each milestone. You can track detailed progress on our Improvement Forum and learn more about running a gateway in our documentation.
