Sei Network Moves Closer to Its Giga Vision as a Fundamental Protocol Shift Nears Completion

Sei Network is approaching a defining moment in its development as the final phase of SIP-3 comes into focus, setting the stage for its highly anticipated Giga upgrade. While market participants often fixate on launch dates and headline features, the most consequential changes are unfolding at the protocol level, where Sei is restructuring how the network operates at its core.

At the center of this transition is a decisive move toward an EVM-only architecture. According to updates shared by Sei co-founder Jayendra Jog, SIP-3 is designed to eliminate long-standing complexity by phasing out Cosmos and CosmWasm transaction support. Instead, the network will rely exclusively on the Ethereum Virtual Machine, a shift that developers argue is essential for achieving the performance targets promised by Giga.

The rationale behind the change is straightforward. Maintaining dual execution environments has added technical overhead and limited optimization potential. By removing legacy Cosmos-related code, Sei aims to streamline execution, reduce latency, and unlock more aggressive scalability improvements. Although the community approved this direction in mid-2025, implementation has been deliberately staged to minimize disruption.

Once SIP-3 is fully deployed, only EVM addresses will be able to submit transactions on Sei. Cosmos-based activity will be gradually retired, marking a significant departure from the network’s original hybrid design. While the adjustment may appear incremental to casual users, it represents a structural realignment that affects tooling, infrastructure, and long-term developer strategy.

The rollout is proceeding through a series of protocol upgrades. Current testnet releases are enabling EVM-native staking and allowing indexers and custodians to monitor staking activity via standard EVM APIs. Additional updates will block inbound IBC transfers, preventing Cosmos-based assets from entering the network. Later phases are expected to disable outbound IBC transfers entirely and replace Sei’s native oracle system with established providers such as Chainlink, API3, and Pyth, pending governance approval.

These changes carry practical implications for users. Holders of IBC-based assets, including USDC.n and tokens like ATOM, are being urged to migrate or exit positions ahead of mainnet enforcement. DeFi participants whose strategies depend on IBC liquidity face similar deadlines, as those pathways will no longer be supported once SIP-3 is complete.

SIP-3 is widely described within the community as a performance reset rather than a routine upgrade. By shedding architectural weight, Sei is preparing for Giga, an initiative that targets throughput levels approaching 200,000 transactions per second. Supporters argue that focusing on a single execution model gives Sei an advantage over other high-performance chains that still rely on layered or hybrid designs.

Beyond raw speed, contributors are also considering longer-term challenges such as post-quantum security. High-throughput networks face unique constraints when dealing with larger signatures and more expensive verification schemes. Sei advocates suggest that techniques like proof batching and recursive verification could allow the network to address future cryptographic demands without sacrificing performance.

As SIP-3 nears completion and Giga is teased as “coming soon,” attention is shifting from vision to execution. The outcome will determine whether Sei can translate architectural ambition into a durable position among next-generation Layer-1 blockchains.