Enjin Chain Seeks Governance Approval for Two Key Upgrades

Enjin is preparing to put two network upgrades before its community in November, with both deployments still subject to governance approval. The project’s official changelog lists Fort Canning Relaychain runtime 1.8.0 for November 9, 2026, followed by Matrixchain runtime 1.4.1 on November 16.

The October 5 Enjin Blockchain changelog details the proposed upgrades, including their expected deployment blocks, timing and technical changes. The plans come as ENJ trades around $0.033, down about 1% on the day but still 14% higher over the past week.

ENJ currently has a market value of approximately $66 million and remains about 99% below its $4.82 all-time high from 2021. While some market participants may view the upgrades as a potential catalyst, the network changes alone do not establish that ENJ demand or its price will increase.

Mainnet Deployment Still Depends on Governance

Fort Canning is planned for Relaychain block #18,059,100, while Matrixchain runtime 1.4.1 has a target of block #12,331,000. Both are expected to occur at roughly 16:00 UTC.

Enjin says the timing is based on current block-production rates and should be considered an estimate. The Matrixchain block number is a target, whereas the Relaychain deployment is linked directly to its governance referendum.

The project has already tested the upgrades on its Canary networks. Relaychain received its update on September 28, followed by Matrixchain on September 29.

Those tests indicate that development and preparation are progressing, but they do not represent mainnet deployment. The production versions will only move forward if the relevant governance referenda are approved.

For ENJ traders, the distinction is important. Fort Canning is a proposed protocol upgrade with a specified technical scope, rather than a completed event that has already produced measurable changes in network activity or token demand.

Major Changes to Enjin Governance

One of the most significant changes involves the cost of creating governance proposals. Under Fort Canning, deposits would increase from 0.025 ENJ to 1,000 ENJ for each track.

The system would also introduce minimum support thresholds based on total ENJ issuance of 2.02 billion, including ENJ held on Matrixchain.

Matrixchain is set to transition to OpenGov, bringing 15 referendum tracks and conviction voting. Users who lock ENJ for longer periods can receive greater voting weight. Enjin Fellowship members will also be able to fast-track proposals considered time-sensitive.

These changes could make ENJ more central to network governance, although the much higher proposal deposit may limit participation by some users.

Validator Security and Cross-Chain Tools

The upgrade also includes changes to validator security. Validators could be slashed for losing parachain disputes, while the GRANDPA authority limit would increase from 32 to 100 to accommodate a larger validator set.

Enjin has not provided quantitative estimates showing how these adjustments will affect network security or performance.

Cross-chain functionality is also being expanded. New XCM APIs will allow wallets to simulate calls and estimate costs before transactions are submitted. ENJ transfers between Relaychain and Matrixchain will continue to rely on Teleport.

The ability to preview calls and costs could make integrations easier, but there is no evidence yet that these improvements will generate higher cross-chain transaction volumes.

Marketplace Features Get an Overhaul

The proposed upgrades include several changes to marketplace and multi-token functionality across the two chains.

On Relaychain, support will extend to sENJ and the Degens collection. ENJ auction bids will be placed into escrow after submission, while bids created before the upgrade will continue to settle under their existing rules.

Matrixchain will offer greater flexibility for sellers. A listing can be completed in a single transaction when an offer matches the asking price. Sellers will also be able to accept only part of an offer, while expired listings will be settled on-chain every block instead of relying on off-chain processing.

New NFT Lending Rules

Enjin is also introducing fixed-term NFT lending. Once a loan expires, the borrowed tokens will automatically be returned. Borrowers can use the assets during the lending period but cannot transfer, burn or list them on other marketplaces.

NFTs created before the upgrade will remain unavailable for lending unless the collection owner enables the functionality. The feature is primarily designed for rentals and trial periods rather than lending backed by collateral.

The new system also has some limitations. Escrow requirements will increase the cost of Matrixchain bids, while Relaychain lending will generally apply only to tokens created after the upgrade.

Ultimately, the proposed changes expand Enjin’s governance, interoperability and marketplace functionality, but their economic impact remains untested. The changelog contains no post-deployment adoption data, meaning actual marketplace activity, cross-chain usage and ENJ demand will be more important indicators of success than the upgrade announcement itself.