Celestia v8: cross-chain transfers, ZK verification, and new fees for TIA validators

Celestia v8 has been live on Mainnet Beta since May 5, 2026, at block 10,960,599. This upgrade introduces relevant changes for cross-chain transfers through Hyperlane, adds message verification with ZK proofs, and updates commission limits for TIA validators.

In this article, we explain what changes with Celestia v8 and what it means for users, developers, validators, and stakers.

If you want to dive deeper into Celestia’s modular architecture, you can read our full guide on what Celestia is and how its modular approach works.

The v7 upgrade, Hibiscus, was not activated on Mainnet Beta due to a bug in x/forwarding detected during its testnet deployment. For this reason, Celestia v8 is now being released with the same modifications through a new network upgrade focused on improving interoperability.

The v8 upgrade includes three main CIPs:

• CIP-44, which adjusts validator commission limits.
• CIP-45, which introduces the Forwarding Module.
• CIP-46, which introduces the ZK Interchain Security Module.

What problem does it solve?

Until now, some cross-chain transfers could require more than one signature from the user, especially on routes where assets passed through Celestia before reaching another chain. With v8, the goal is to simplify this process and reduce friction for users and applications.

In addition, the upgrade introduces a new message verification option based on zero-knowledge proofs, which can serve as an alternative or complement to multisig-based models.

CIP-44: adjusting commission limits for Celestia validators

CIP-44 updates validator commission limits on Celestia. With this change, the minimum commission increases from 10% to 20%, while the maximum commission rises from 25% to 60%.

During the upgrade, validators with a commission below the new minimum are automatically adjusted to 20%.

Commission is an important factor, but it should not be the only criterion when choosing the best validator. It is also worth considering availability, security, participation in network governance, and the ability to keep infrastructure up to date with new network upgrades.

CIP-45: Forwarding Module for single-signature transfers

CIP-45 introduces the Forwarding Module (x/forwarding), a module that simplifies cross-chain transfers on Hyperlane routes that pass through Celestia.

Its main goal is to simplify the user experience: instead of having to sign one transaction on the source chain and another on Celestia to complete the second step, the user can start the flow with a single signature from the source chain.

To make this possible, the system generates a forwarding address linked to the destination and final recipient. When the user sends tokens to that address, a relayer can execute the transfer in a permissionless way. The difference is that the funds can only go to the previously defined destination. This reduces the need to trust an intermediary during the process.

In the case of the TIA token, CIP-45 adds a relevant improvement: the native token can use collateral transfer and be deposited directly from a centralized exchange within this flow. This could make TIA withdrawals to other chains easier, as long as exchanges, interfaces, and relayers integrate the system correctly.

CIP-46: ZK Interchain Security Module for message verification with ZK

CIP-46 introduces the ZK Interchain Security Module (x/zkism), a module that adds verification based on zero-knowledge proofs for Hyperlane. This module makes it possible to verify cross-chain messages through cryptographic proofs, offering an alternative or complement to multisig-based security models.

The implementation uses Groth16 verification and allows prover programs to be written with SP1, with possible future support for other ZKVMs such as Risc0. This approach introduces a more trust-minimized model, where message authorization depends on cryptographic proofs and not only on a set of external validators or signers.

Although it does not fully solve all interoperability challenges between modular networks, it does introduce important changes to improve cross-chain transfers, add ZK message verification, and update validators’ economic parameters.

Overall, the Celestia v8 upgrade introduces progress toward a more interoperable modular ecosystem that is better prepared for new cross-chain applications.