Stellar Blockchain Activates Bell Update in Testnet

On November 3, 2026, the Stellar blockchain activated the Protocol 30 update named Bell on the test network. It expands smart contract capabilities, adds support for post-quantum signature verification, and prepares the network for accelerated transaction processing. The validator vote for launching the update on the mainnet is scheduled for November 23 at 17:00 UTC.

According to the non-profit organization Stellar Development Foundation, responsible for ecosystem development, Bell includes 3 protocol changes: CAP-84, CAP-87, and CAP-88. They affect contract address operations, cryptographic protection, and the accuracy of ledger formation timing.

New Addresses and Post-Quantum Protection

CAP-84 introduces multiplexed smart contract addresses, allowing exchanges, payment companies, and crypto asset storage services to serve multiple clients through a single contract. New addresses start with the letter W and contain a 64-bit identifier by which the system determines the recipient of the transfer. This allows for accounting of client receipts without creating a separate contract for each user.

Another change, CAP-87, adds the ability to verify ML-DSA digital signatures in the Soroban smart contract environment. This post-quantum algorithm was standardized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2024 and is designed to protect against potential attacks using quantum computers.

Developers will be able to create smart contracts that require operation confirmations using ML-DSA. However, the update does not make the entire Stellar network quantum-resistant: the Ed25519 algorithm will continue to be used for signing transactions at the blockchain level. Its replacement will require a separate protocol change.

Preparing the Network for Transaction Acceleration

The third change, CAP-88, introduces ledger completion timestamps with millisecond precision instead of whole seconds. This removes a technical limitation that hindered the network from transitioning to ledger formation intervals of less than 1 second in the future.

In September, the Protocol 28 update already reduced the typical Stellar ledger formation time from approximately 5.7 to 5 seconds. Bell itself does not accelerate this process but creates conditions for further interval reduction.

Before launching Protocol 30 on the mainnet, wallet developers, crypto exchanges, and infrastructure operators need to update software libraries and ensure support for the new address format. Services that directly process ledger data must also adapt to the change in their structure. Existing Soroban smart contracts will be able to continue operating without mandatory reworking.

The Stellar Development Foundation has already released compatible versions of the main infrastructure components. The final decision on activating Bell on the mainnet will depend on the validator vote on November 23, 2026, and the announced timelines may change.