Deep Dive
1. StarGate Dashboard Upgrade (19 January 2026)
Overview: This upgrade refined the user interface for the StarGate staking platform, making it easier for VET holders to delegate, track rewards, and manage their positions. It provides clearer data on validator performance and annual percentage yield (APY).
The new dashboard offers live monitoring, asset management, and tools for users who held legacy nodes, with a migration deadline of 15 March 2026. Over 9 billion VET has been staked through this system since its launch.
What this means: This is bullish for VTHO because a better user experience encourages more people to stake their VET, which increases network security and creates consistent demand for VTHO as the reward token. It makes the ecosystem more accessible to both retail and institutional participants.
(CoinMarketCap)
2. Hayabusa Mainnet Launch (December 2025)
Overview: This was a major network upgrade that shifted VeChain to a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus model with 96 active validators. It fundamentally changed how VTHO is generated.
Previously, VTHO was issued passively to all VET holders. The new model dynamically issues VTHO based on the total amount of VET actively staked, roughly halving the rate of new VTHO entering circulation.
What this means: This is bullish for VTHO because it directly links new supply to network participation, reducing inflationary pressure. It rewards active stakeholders more and aligns VTHO issuance with actual network security needs.
(Bullish)
3. Galactica Protocol Upgrade (July 2025)
Overview: This upgrade implemented a gas fee market similar to Ethereum's EIP-1559. Every transaction now has a base fee that is permanently burned (destroyed), while users can add a priority tip for validators.
This mechanism creates a sustained burn of VTHO tokens proportional to network activity, actively reducing the total supply.
What this means: This is bullish for VTHO because it introduces a deflationary mechanism. As more people use the VeChain network for transactions and smart contracts, more VTHO is burned, which could increase scarcity over time if demand outpaces the burn rate.
(Bullish)
Conclusion
VTHO's codebase has evolved through a series of major upgrades focused on improving staking, overhauling tokenomics, and introducing deflationary burns. How will rising network activity interact with these new supply constraints to influence VTHO's long-term value?