# Avalanche Activates Helicon Upgrade With New C-Chain Model

By Simon Yoon

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/25925
Published: 2026-09-30T17:40:06.000Z
Updated: 2026-09-30T17:40:06.000Z
Section: Technology

> The upgrade separates consensus from transaction execution, shortens validator staking requirements and introduces a validator-governed gas-price floor.

Avalanche activated its Helicon upgrade on Mainnet Sept. 22, introducing a new C-Chain execution model intended to increase processing capacity and speed receipt issuance during periods of heavy demand.

The upgrade went live at 11 a.m. ET (3 p.m. UTC) through AvalancheGo v1.15.0 and combines six Avalanche Community Proposals. Its central feature, Continuous Execution, separates consensus from transaction execution by placing accepted blocks in a queue while a concurrent executor processes their transactions.

Helicon also changed validator requirements. The minimum staking duration is now 48 hours, down from two weeks, while the effective uptime requirement for new validation periods increased to 90% from 80%. Existing validation periods retain the 80% threshold.

The upgrade replaces the fixed minimum gas price with a validator-governed dynamic floor. That floor began at 1 wei when Helicon activated and can change based on validator preferences.

A separate change starts a 90-day phase-in that lowers Avalanche’s minimum consumption rate from 10% to 7.5%.