Algorand just shipped its biggest upgrade since staking rewards launched in January 2025. If you're running a node, here's what's in it, and exactly how to get your setup upgraded.
What's in v5.0.0
Three things landed together in this release.
Quantum-resilient accounts, now native. Falcon-1024 accounts no longer require a LogicSig wrapper. This builds on State Proofs work Algorand shipped back in 2022, the first quantum-resilient mainnet transaction in 2025, and the post-quantum roadmap published in June 2026. This release is the first deliverable off that roadmap.
Resource-based fees. Fees now scale with what a transaction actually needs, larger data, heavier computations, rather than a flat rate for everyone. Regular payments and everyday transfers stay exactly as affordable as they've always been. The extra fees on resource-heavy transactions flow into the fee sink, funding node runner payouts. This is the first concrete step toward a more sustainable network long term, part of the thinking behind the upcoming King Safety paper.
A bigger developer toolkit. Smart contracts can hold twice as much code, share box storage data between each other (opt-in), and existing apps can upgrade in place without a full rebuild. New opcodes add native support for zero-knowledge app development. A new congestion signal previews future network health tooling, no impact on fees today.
How to upgrade
There are three paths depending on your setup.
Running NodeKit
Upgrade with the following command.
./nodekit upgrade
On macOS only, you'll also need to stop and start your node.
./nodekit stop; ./nodekit start
Then launch NodeKit with ./nodekit to confirm your node version. The top right should read something like this.
Node: v5.0.0-stable
Getting a FATA algod is running, please run the stop command error? You need to upgrade NodeKit itself first.
- Run the installer command for your OS from nodekit.run
- Respond YES to upgrading NodeKit, and NO to fast catch-up
- Then run ./nodekit upgrade to upgrade your node
Note, from NodeKit v1.1.0 onward, the nodekit upgrade command upgrades both NodeKit and the node to the latest stable versions in one step.
Running the FUNC Program
If you're on the FUNC Program, this one's simple. An update will be available directly in the FUNC Program. Just download it once it's live, no manual configuration needed.
Running a custom setup
Running something outside NodeKit or FUNC? Reach out to devrel@algorand.foundation and we'll help you get upgraded.
Questions?
If you hit any issues during the upgrade, or you're not sure which path applies to your setup, reach out or join the node runner channel in our Discord and we'll get you sorted.
Algorand v5.0.0 is available now. You can upgrade your node via NodeKit or FUNC. If you need help, reach out via the #node-runners channel in Algorand’s Discord.
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