A faster, more resilient foundation for the open Web3 ecosystem
We’re excited to announce the launch of WalletConnect Network 2.0, a major evolution of the infrastructure that powers connections between wallets and apps.
This new version makes the network faster, more decentralized, and easier to operate, while preparing it for a fully permissionless future.
What Is the WalletConnect Network?
The WalletConnect Network (WCN) is the real-time communication layer that allows wallets and decentralized apps (dapps) to interact securely when they connect through WalletConnect.
Every time a user connects a wallet to an app using WalletConnect, signs a transaction, or authorizes a session, that data travels through this network, which is operated by independent node operators around the world.
With WCN 2.0, this backbone just got a major upgrade.
What’s New in WCN 2.0?
1. Regional Clusters: Faster Connections Everywhere
In WCN 1.0, all data was replicated globally. That ensured strong consistency, but also introduced delays.
WCN 2.0 introduces regional clusters, meaning most wallet-to-app messages now travel shorter distances and are processed closer to where users are.
- Up to 85 % latency reduction in some regions
- Read and write speeds improved by ~75 % globally
- Still fully synchronized for data that needs to stay global
In short: snappier connections for users around the world.
2. Blockchain-Based Coordination: Trust Built-In
Instead of relying on traditional “leader” systems, WCN 2.0 now uses a smart contract to coordinate the network on-chain.
That means:
- Every change to the network (like who’s operating nodes) is recorded transparently on-chain.
- No single point of failure — the network keeps running even if individual nodes go offline.
- All transactions are auditable and verifiable.
This makes WalletConnect the first distributed key-value store in production to use blockchain consensus for coordination.
3. Modular Design: Easier to Scale and Maintain
The network’s architecture is now split into two independent parts:
- WCN Node – handles coordination and consensus
- WCN Database – handles storage and retrieval
This separation means node upgrades can happen without downtime.
4. More Operators, More Decentralization
WCN 2.0 is now run by 20+ independent operators across multiple continents.
This increases geographic resilience — the network stays online even if entire regions go down, and continues WalletConnect’s path toward full permissionless participation.
Smarter, Fairer Rewards for Node Operators
WCN 2.0 also introduces a new performance-based reward system.
Instead of relying solely on uptime as in WCN 1.0, the new system rewards each operator based on two measurable factors:
- Reliability (success rate)
- Performance (average response time)
Operators that maintain fast, stable nodes earn more, while those with downtime or high latency earn less.
Budgets are reviewed quarterly to stay balanced with infrastructure costs and market changes.
This creates a self-optimizing network — where economic incentives directly align with the quality of service users experience.
Why It Matters
For users and developers, these upgrades translate to:
Faster wallet connections
Lower latency for transactions and sessions
More reliable cross-region performance
Transparent, verifiable network governance
A more decentralized and resilient Web3 infrastructure
And for the ecosystem, it means WalletConnect continues to evolve as public infrastructure, open, distributed, and verifiably secure.
Looking Ahead
WCN 2.0 lays the groundwork for future milestones, including:
- Autoscaling — automatic storage expansion based on demand
- Permissionless operation — allowing anyone to become a node operator through staking and reputation systems
- New use cases — from decentralized identity to real-time collaboration and encrypted storage
Final Thoughts
With WalletConnect Network 2.0, we’re proving that blockchain technology can power infrastructure itself, not just tokens.
It’s faster, fairer, and more open — built for the next generation of wallets, apps, and protocols that rely on instant, reliable connections.