Adapter, Protocol 28 Upgrade Timeline
Justin
Key dates
• August 13, 2026 — Stellar Core stable release available.
• August 13-21, 2026 — Additional stable releases (infrastructure and SDKs) available.
• August 27, 2026, 1700 UTC — Testnet upgrade.
• September 16, 2026, 1700 UTC — Mainnet upgrade vote.
This upgrade introduces enhancements that make it easier to write smart contracts on Stellar, as well as a change under the hood that helps the network reach consensus faster as it continues to scale. It should be minimally disruptive for users and builders. For typical SDK-based integrations, we suggest bumping your SDK version before August 27 for Testnet builds, and before September 16 for Mainnet builds.
For information on general upgrade instructions and links to relevant software, check out the upgrade guide:
https://stellar.org/blog/developers/adapter-protocol-28-upgrade-guide
For details on the changes included in the protocol, check out the announcement:
https://stellar.org/blog/developers/introducing-adapter-protocol-28-on-stellar
Justin
Hey everyone,
Reminder: the Adapter (Protocol 28) mainnet upgrade vote is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16 at 1700 UTC — two weeks from today.
If you run a validator, infrastructure, or anything built on Stellar, please review the upgrade guide now rather than in the final week: https://stellar.org/blog/developers/adapter-protocol-28-upgrade-guide
Protocol 28 releases are available now. Upgrade Core, your infrastructure, and your SDKs before the vote. For most wallets, ramps, and issuers, bumping to the latest SDK is all that's needed.
Adapter is a builder-focused release: it makes life easier for the people writing smart contracts on Stellar, and introduces a change under the hood that helps the network reach consensus faster as it continues to scale.
Read all about it here:
https://stellar.org/blog/developers/introducing-adapter-protocol-28-on-stellar