Enjin Chain Puts Two Major Upgrades to a Governance Vote

Two Enjin Chain upgrades are scheduled for November, but both still require governance approval before they can be deployed. The official Enjin changelog lists Fort Canning Relaychain runtime 1.8.0 for November 9, 2026, followed by Matrixchain runtime 1.4.1 on November 16.

The Enjin Blockchain changelog, published on October 5, 2026, provides the proposed rollout schedule along with details of the technical changes included in the upgrades.

The planned upgrades come as ENJ trades around $0.033, down 1% on the day but still up 14% over the past week. The token has a market capitalization of approximately $66 million and remains 99% below its 2021 all-time high of $4.82. Investors are looking to the network changes for a potential catalyst, although the upgrades themselves do not guarantee a price recovery.

How the Fort Canning Deployment Is Planned

According to the changelog, the Relaychain upgrade is targeted for block #18,059,100, while Matrixchain is expected to reach its upgrade at block #12,331,000. Both are estimated to occur around 16:00 UTC.

Enjin notes that these timings are estimates based on current block production rates. The Matrixchain block number serves as a target, while the Relaychain block is determined by its governance referendum.

The Canary networks have already gone through preliminary deployments, with the Relaychain upgraded on September 28 and the Matrixchain on September 29.

Those testnet deployments demonstrate that preparation is underway, but they do not mean either upgrade has reached mainnet. Both scheduled deployments remain dependent on their respective governance referenda being approved.

This distinction is important when evaluating ENJ’s upgrade narrative. Fort Canning remains a planned protocol update with a defined technical scope rather than a completed event with measurable effects on network activity or token demand.

Governance Changes and Network Security

One of the major changes under Fort Canning is a substantial increase in the cost of submitting governance proposals. Deposits would rise from 0.025 ENJ to 1,000 ENJ per track. The upgrade would also introduce minimum support requirements based on total ENJ issuance of 2.02 billion, including the tokens held on Matrixchain.

Matrixchain is also set to adopt OpenGov, introducing 15 referendum tracks and conviction voting. Under the system, users can increase their voting power by locking ENJ for longer periods. Enjin Fellowship members would have the ability to fast-track proposals considered time-sensitive.

These changes give ENJ a more significant role in network governance, although the higher proposal deposits could make it more difficult for some participants to submit referenda.

Security mechanisms are also being adjusted. Validators could face slashing for losing parachain disputes, while the GRANDPA authority limit would increase from 32 to 100 to support a larger validator set. However, the changelog does not quantify the expected effect of these changes on network security or performance.

Cross-Chain Improvements

The upgrade also introduces new XCM APIs that allow wallets to simulate calls and estimate transaction costs before submitting them. ENJ transfers between the Relaychain and Matrixchain will continue to use Teleport.

Greater visibility into transaction costs could make the system easier for developers and wallet providers to integrate. However, the change alone does not establish that cross-chain transaction volumes will increase.

Overall, the governance and interoperability improvements give ENJ additional functionality within the network, but they do not by themselves demonstrate stronger demand or usage. Actual activity across the ecosystem will remain a more meaningful measure of utility.

Marketplace and Multi-Token Changes

The changelog also details changes to marketplace and multi-token functionality across the Relaychain and Matrixchain.

On the Relaychain, support will include sENJ and the Degens collection. Auction bids made in ENJ will be placed into escrow once submitted, while bids made before the upgrade will continue to settle under their existing terms.

Matrixchain is receiving changes designed to make listings more flexible. Sellers will be able to complete a sale in a single transaction when an offer matches the asking price. Offers can also be accepted partially, while expired listings will settle on-chain every block rather than depending on off-chain processing.

NFT Lending Changes

The upgrade also introduces fixed-term NFT lending. Under the system, borrowed tokens are automatically returned when the loan period expires. Borrowers can use the NFTs during the lending period but cannot transfer, burn or list them on another marketplace.

Tokens created before the upgrade will not be eligible for lending unless their collection owner enables the feature. The system is primarily designed around rentals and trial use rather than collateral-backed lending.

These changes could improve marketplace functionality, but there are also trade-offs. Matrixchain bids will become more expensive because of the escrow requirement, while Relaychain lending will be restricted to tokens created after the upgrade unless collection owners provide an exception.

The changelog does not provide adoption figures or post-deployment data for any of these features. As a result, actual marketplace usage, transaction activity and ENJ demand will ultimately provide a clearer indication of whether the upgrades deliver meaningful utility.

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